A joint research project won't stop an incoming nuke missile.
The threat of a missile attack by North Korea has apparently concentrated enough minds at the Defense Agency that a major change in missile defense policy is in the works.
Agency officials are now considering including in the budget proposal for next fiscal year a request for an Aegis destroyer-based Standard Missile 3 (SM3) system developed by the United States in addition to the surface-to-air guided Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC3) system now under consideration, sources said.
Japan is already involved in a joint technology research project with the United States to develop a missile defense system.
The decision to purchase a system already produced by the United States means money spent on joint research would essentially be wasted. Since the start of the project in 1999, 13.7 billion yen has been set aside through fiscal 2002.
Until now, the government has held the research project at arm's length-saying no decision had been made on either production or deployment of any resulting missile defense system.
However, by asking for funds to purchase the SM3 and PAC3 systems, Japan seems to be moving closer to actual deployment of a missile defense system.
North Korea's recent revelations about its nuclear capability and general belligerence have forced the Defense Agency to rethink its initial timetable. The joint missile defense research project was not expected to produce any tangible results for a number of years at best.
However, this same bad behavior by the North Koreans has resulted in negative public opinion in Japan, providing the agency with an opening to speed up acquisition of an "off-the-shelf" missile defense system.
Additionally, Washington has been pushing its East Asia allies hard to establish missile defense systems in concert with the United States.
U.S. President George W. Bush announced in December that the PAC3 missile systems would be deployed in 2004 and that the SM3 system would be deployed in 2005.
The PAC3 system is designed to destroy ballistic missiles at the terminal flight stage, not long before impact. It will be an improved version of the PAC2 system designed to counter short-range ballistic missiles.
Japan already has about 120 PAC2 missiles deployed throughout the country.
The SM3 is a more ambitious system, designed to take out ballistic missiles in the midcourse phase beyond the Earth's atmosphere. SM3s would be deployed on Aegis destroyers reconfigured to accommodate the weapons.
However, if Japan is to deploy a missile defense system, constitutional issues will need to be addressed.
Questions would be raised about the exercise of the right to collective self-defense if the missile defense system was used to shoot down missiles headed for an ally nation.
Since a ballistic missile launched from the Korean Peninsula would reach Japan in about 10 minutes, government officials must also consider the level of command authorized to launch the missiles.
There has also been little debate on where exactly to situate the missile defense system within Japan's overall defense program.
More technical issues would also have to be addressed. Laser sites to track the incoming ballistic missiles as well as a coordinated command and communications system would be required to operate the missile defense system
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