Japan’s Navy Is Test Firing a Railgun Weapon

Japan’s Navy Is Test Firing a Railgun Weapon

"...Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency says it successfully fired a ship-mounted electromagnetic railgun at a real vessel in June–July, using JS Asuka as the testbed.

-The gun launches non-explosive projectiles near 2,500 m/s ..."

Reference: nationalsecurityjournal.org .

High-tech U.S. missile systems come to Japan amid policy shifts and China concerns

High-tech U.S. missile systems come to Japan amid policy shifts and China concerns

"...The Typhon midrange missile system and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) are being “temporarily” deployed and will feature in the Resolute Dragon drills held jointly by the U.S. Marines and the Ground Self-Defense Force in Okinawa Prefecture and other parts of the country from Sept. 11 to Sept. 25 as part of rehearsals for retaking occupied remote islands. ..."

Reference: www.japantimes.co.jp .

U.S. Navy’s New AIM-174B Air-to-Air Missile Spotted in Japan

U.S. Navy’s New AIM-174B Air-to-Air Missile Spotted in Japan

"...On May 4, 2025, during the Friendship Day event held at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, the U.S. Navy publicly unveiled the AIM-174B (air-launched variant of the SM-6) for the first time, mounted under the wing of an F/A-18F...."

Reference: www.navalnews.com .

Russia says it will respond if US places missiles in Japan

Russia says it will respond if US places missiles in Japan

"...Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday that Japan and the U.S. aim to compile a joint military plan for a possible Taiwan emergency that includes deploying missiles. It cited unnamed U.S. and Japanese sources as saying that under the plan, the U.S. would deploy missile units to the Nansei Islands of Japan's southwestern Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, and to the Philippines. ..."

Reference: www.reuters.com .

Japan signs agreement to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles as US envoy lauds its defense buildup

Japan signs agreement to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles as US envoy lauds its defense buildup

"...Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government has pledged to double its annual defense spending to around 10 trillion yen ($68 billion) by 2027, which would make Japan the world’s third-biggest military spender ..."

Reference: www.washingtonpost.com .

HUH? Japan will sell Patriot missiles to the US that could help Ukraine, breaking a decades-old arms export policy

Japan will sell Patriot missiles to the US that could help Ukraine, breaking a decades-old arms export policy

"...An unnamed Japanese government official told Reuters that the missiles will re-stock the US military's arsenal for the safety of the Indo-Pacific, where tensions with China and North Korea are worsening. Japan still cannot ship weapons to countries that are at war, like Ukraine, Reuters said. ..."

Reference: www.businessinsider.com

More Reading: Who produced Patriot Missiles?

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Japan to buy Tomahawks in one go from U.S. in FY 2023

Japan to buy Tomahawks in one go from U.S. in FY 2023

"Japan has been considering purchasing up to about 500 Tomahawks, according to a government source. The move came as the government aims to enhance its deterrence through the acquisition of "counterstrike capabilities" as pledged in three key security documents revised in December amid China's military buildup and the North Korean missile and nuclear threats...."

Reference: kyodonews.net .

Japan considers introduction of new U.S. system for defense against North Korean missiles

Japan considers introduction of new U.S. system for defense against North Korean missiles

"...The Defense Ministry is also considering deploying the Aegis-based SM-3 system on the ground, the sources said. The ministry has already asked Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to conduct research on how to operate the THAAD system and ground-based SM-3 interceptors..."

Reference: www.japantimes.co.jp .

Two more Aegis-equipped ballistic-missile defense ships headed to Japan by 2017

Hagel: U.S. to Send 2 More Aegis Ships to Japan

"...For reasons a senior defense official said included North Korean provocations, treaty commitments to Japan and U.S. national security interests, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today that the United States will send Japan two more Aegis-equipped ballistic-missile defense ships by 2017...."

Reference: www.defense.gov .

Japan Considering THAAD Missile Defense

Japan Considering THAAD Missile Defense
"...Japan is considering adding the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system as a third layer to its ballistic-missile defenses, according to an official leak evidently prompted by North Korea’s..."
Reference: www.aviationweek.com

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False Alarm Sounded Saturday in Japan over North Korean Missile Launch

False Alarm Sounded Saturday in Japan over North Korean Missile Launch
"...It announced at 12:16 p.m. local time Saturday North Korea had fired the rocket. The report was immediately aired on national broadcast networks and local authorities activated their emergency responses in areas where it was feared debris from stages of the missile could fall. ..."
Reference: www.voanews.com

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