Will we sign the contract this Friday?, The United States and Japan are rumored to be developing their first hypersonic weapon interception missile, aimed at China, Russia, and North Korea

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japanese government sources revealed that the United States and Japan will jointly develop hypersonic missile interceptors. During this week's US, Japan, and South Korea summit, US and Japanese leaders may reach an agreement on this matter.

According to Nikkei Asia, the Japanese Ministry of Defense claims that this is the world's first practical missile for intercepting hypersonic weapons.

Japanese media reported that the joint development of a new type of anti missile interception missile by the United States and Japan aims to enhance the alliance's deterrence and response capabilities in response to hypersonic weapons developed by China, Russia, and North Korea.

Planned for a long time

Japan and the United States have been conspiring against hypersonic weapons for a long time, and related news has already been circulating.

Last December, Nikkei Asia exposed this collaboration plan. The report states that Japan and the United States are considering joint research and development of new technologies to intercept hypersonic missiles, with the aim of destroying incoming missiles at heights that existing anti missile systems cannot reach.

In January of this year, during the "2+2" meeting between the US and Japan Foreign Ministers, both sides agreed to consider developing such interceptors. In June, Japanese Defense Minister Yasuki Hamada and visiting US Defense Minister Austin held a joint press conference, stating that Japan and the United States plan to continue strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the two countries, including discussing the possibility of jointly developing interception hypersonic weapon systems.

The US and Japan have repeatedly emphasized that it may be laying the groundwork for reaching an agreement during this Friday's meeting at Camp David. If this agreement is finalized at that time, it will be a formal confirmation at the leadership level and seen as a breakthrough cooperation between the United States and Japan in the field of defense. It is reported that the United States and Japan plan to complete the development of this new type of interception missile within 10 years.

If the news is true, this will be the second time that the United States and Japan have jointly developed an anti missile interception missile since the development of the Standard-3 Block IIA interception missile in 2017.

The last developed long-range interception missile was used to intercept medium range or intercontinental ballistic missiles, while this time it is specifically designed for hypersonic weapons.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the flight speed of hypersonic missiles exceeds Mach 5, which is five times the speed of sound. The flight trajectory of conventional ballistic missiles can be predicted, but hypersonic missiles are different. They have fast speed, long range, strong maneuverability, and can fly at altitudes lower than ballistic missiles. They also undergo low altitude trajectory changes, making it difficult for radar to detect and track them, making interception even more difficult. This requires interceptors to fly at high speeds over long distances and have high flexibility to cope with changes in the flight path of hypersonic weapons.

According to Kyodo News Agency, Japan initially planned to address the threat of hypersonic weapons by improving the Ground Self Defense Force's Type 03 medium range surface to air missile and using the Standard 6 missile carried on the Sea Self Defense Force's Aegis ship.

But the above-mentioned intercepting missiles are all terminal interceptions, and Japan urgently needs to acquire the ability to intercept at longer distances.

The design purpose of the new interception missile is to shoot it down at heights that existing anti missile systems cannot reach, i.e. during the gliding phase of hypersonic missiles.

Defense News in the United States revealed in March this year that the United States and Japan are jointly developing a glide phase interceptor.

Previously, Jon Hill, who leads the US Missile Defense Agency, stated that the agency is requesting $209 million in funding for the development of "glide stage interceptors" in the 2024 fiscal year, aiming to "deploy or develop the first interceptor in the early 1930s.".

Kyodo News quoted sources as saying that the "glide phase interceptor" suitable for the "Aegis" destroyer may be related to the bilateral research and development project envisioned by Japan and the United States.

However, designing an effective hypersonic missile interception system requires overcoming multiple technical challenges. Including innovative tracking and targeting mechanisms, as well as rapid response mechanisms to respond to trajectory changes. At the same time, the system must also have the ability to identify real threats and lures, which requires advanced artificial intelligence and sensor technology.

At the same time, in order to intercept hypersonic weapons, it is necessary to establish a monitoring system that can detect and track missiles as early as possible. According to the Japan Broadcasting Association, the United States is promoting the establishment of a "satellite constellation" composed of multiple small satellites, which involves collaborative work of small satellites to enhance intelligence collection capabilities. The Japanese Ministry of Defense is considering sharing satellite networks with the United States.

Strengthening deterrence

Japanese media claim that the joint development of a new type of interceptor by the United States and Japan aims to enhance the alliance's deterrence, prevent threats that existing missile defense networks cannot cope with, especially hypersonic weapons against China, Russia, and North Korea, as well as Beijing's increasing military activities in the Indo Pacific region, including joint exercises with Moscow.

The US Defense Intelligence Agency has stated that China has a world leading hypersonic weapon arsenal, and both China and Russia have conducted multiple successful hypersonic weapon tests.

Russia will also put hypersonic missiles into practical combat. For example, on August 11th, Russia launched four X-47 Dagger hypersonic missiles aimed at airports in western Ukraine.

In addition to China and Russia, North Korea has also successfully tested multiple types of hypersonic missiles. The hypersonic missile that North Korea tested in January 2022 is believed to have a maximum flight speed of about Mach 10.

However, well-known Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov has previously stated that the United States and Japan are unable to develop a new missile to intercept the Russian "Pioneer" hypersonic missile because it is currently impossible to predict the flight trajectory of the "Pioneer" and develop an interception missile with a flight speed exceeding tens of Mach. Russian President Putin once praised "Vanguard" for breaking through any existing anti missile system.

Faced with the leading advantage in the development of hypersonic missiles between China and Russia, the United States and Japan are also intensifying their pursuit. According to Nikkei Asia, the Japanese Ministry of Defense is considering deploying hypersonic missiles before 2030, seeking to enhance counterattack capabilities to contain regional threats. The United States plans to allocate $15 billion between 2023 and 2027 for hypersonic missile research.

Nowadays, before wielding their swords, the two countries join forces to build shields and point their fingers at so-called regional threats, which are believed to not only fail to bring peace to the region but also escalate tensions.