Japan to remodel surface-to-air missiles to intercept hypersonic weapons

So, Japan has developed hypersonic weapons which will allow its defensive weapons to be correctly calibrated in tests?

So, Japan has developed hypersonic weapons which will allow its defensive weapons to be correctly calibrated in tests?

This data already exists.

Im not sure why so many people believe Russia and China can do it but not Japan or USA.

Especially when it comes to weapons, Russia is using components, cameras, electronics built by Japan, USA and Europe!

Japan needs to learn that offense is the best defense. However sophisticated and advanced an air defense system you have, it’s not possible to shoot down all incoming enemy missiles.

We're living in a fantasy world now.

Why don't we focus on climate change?

hypersonic glide weapons, which are believed to be under development by countries such as China and Russia

not development, mass production after successful testing. Russia already used four in Ukraine that all evaded air defense systems.

@ReasonandWisdomNippon

This data already exists.

No it doesn’t.

Japan does not have any hypersonic missiles in service;estimates range from 2026-2030s.

There aren’t any weapons to calibrate at present.

Good. Build more and more.

Why don't we focus on climate change?

Because, North Korea, China, and Russia are building Nukes.

If the US can't even do it, then how Japan will have a chance?

Not to mention, Japan's space program is still a laggard compared to China's even thought Japan had decades ahead of China.

If they are able to successfully intercept hypersonic missiles they would be the first. No nation currently has that capability. That would be a technology they can export. The US and NATO buying Japanese high tech hypersonic missile interceptors, or building under license, wouldn't that be a nice turn of events, making those who constantly harp that it is America making money off Japan. Japan's turn to cha-ching $$.

Alternate headline: US to receive money from Japan.

(Too cynical or just true?)

Reliably intercepting hypersonic missiles is going to be very hard (if not impossible) but reliably very expensive.

The old Nike missile bases all over the US (there are several abandoned bases in any large city - several I cycle past frequently), were armed with Nike anti-missile missiles having nuclear warheads with 2, 10, 20 or 30 kiloton yields. These were supposed to meet the incoming ICBM missiles within 100 miles (altitude up to 20 miles) and blow up or deflect them at least. For reference Hiroshima was 15 kilotons. Basically success meant poisoning the US (and probably the whole earth) with radioactive fallout anyway.

Constant improvements to the system became obsolete almost as soon as they were developed because of improvement in ICBMs. Once the SALT talks took place the whole idea was abandoned as impractical - MAD assured they wouldn't be needed anyway ... but here we are today and world is looking MADder than ever.

I think these kinds of weapons are more about appearing to do something about it. First you'd need to detect these hypersonic weapons, and then launch them. So I'm not sure how long the window is before interception. Next, if you shoot one of these things down, its still coming down.Possibly over a large urban area so location of interception would be needed too. Although I wonder if this is more about protecting high value area, than say Mr Suzuki's house. At the moment we have difficulty shooting down the old scuds. So what is the rate of success? That's the main question. Previously the patriot system was only successful at shooting down 9% of incoming scuds while Israeli think the rate is nearer 2%. and they have to launch 3 or 4 to hit one incoming. All these missiles all have to come down. War is always bad for every economy, but the fear and anxiety of war is certainly good for the economy as countries like to spend money on new toys.Personally if they can find the money, I'd rather they spent it on the sorting out climate change.

https://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/global-missile-defense-race-strong-test-records-and-poor-operational-performance/

No comment.

why bother? waste of time.

They are not "under development in Russia." They were invented about 10 years go in Russia and a large variety of them have been deployed for about 5 years.

China is apparently pretty far along and will probably deploy them in the next few years. USA and the EU are way behind. Failed test after failed test. Seems they have gone back to the drawing board as there haven't been any tests for a while.

It's interesting how Japan plans to intercept them without hypersonic missiles of it's own. Specially the Russian one's which can alter course and altitude dramatically during its flight. Even if that wasn't the case, the early warning system would have to be out of this world. If one of them were launched from the Russian Far East , it's hit Tokyo in maybe 2 or 3 minutes. Or a submarine launched hypersonic missile could hit Tokyo in less than 1min. After all, the hypersonic would fly past a conventional missile with the latter unable to catch up. It would simply run out of fuel and drop on a mansion building in Nigata or Kanazawa.

No, the only solution is for Japan to seek good relations with it's large neighbors. USA is yesterday's news. If they can't have good, equal relations with Japan after the occupiers are made to leave, so be it.

The time it take to boil water for rice, missile can reach Japanese shores ,this what you people in Japan live under

YrralToday 06:12 pm JST

The time it take to boil water for rice, missile can reach Japanese shores ,this what you people in Japan live under

Same amount of time for missiles from Japan to reach China or Russia. Sounds pretty even.

Yrral

a Russian missile could strike the US in five minutes.

wallaceToday 08:51 pm JST

Yrral

a Russian missile could strike the US in five minutes.

Well thats it then. America is just as vulnerable and helpless as Japan and everyone else.

US missiles, Japanese cruise missiles on a Soryu off the coast of China or Russia can hit them in minutes. We must all be doomed equally. What can we all do larrY?

Peter14

a Russian missile in Eastern Russia could strike Alaska in minutes. What can we do about it? Probably not much but hope no madman will decide to end the world.

@Awa no Gaijin Do you really think the Japanese have been sitting on their knuckles all this time? Japan has been remodeling their surface-to-air missiles and testing hyper-sonic weapons for some time. I think you read too much of the wrong things. Just because Japan say they don't have something doesn't mean they aren't developing it in research! If you are NOT AN ENGINEER OR A SCIENTIST you don't know!! Loose lips sink ships! I

By 2029 My oh my.. they certainly are in a big hurry aren't they !

@Septim Dynasty Now this is really funny!!! I wonder where you get your information from. I can honestly say I am there!!! I see it touch test it. Loose lips sink ships!

If the US can't even do it, then how Japan will have a chance?

Not to mention, Japan's space program is still a laggard compared to China's even thought Japan had decades ahead of China.

@theFu I TOTALLY AGREE I WISH I CAN SAY MORE ABOUT many of the post here BUT....

No comment.

Wallace,we have missile defense shield and interceptor

Peter14, Wallace,we have a shield over the US ,Canada, Mexico, Google US Missile Defense

Why would the Chinese attack their number one customer the US,we owe them Trillion,and if they do ,they will not get paid

The ROK recovered North Korean missile from the sea. Their air defense radar is accurate enough to pinpoint the exact landing spot and pull out the missile from sea bed.

Intercepting hypersonic missiles require this level of accuracy, which Japan currently doesn't have based on their widely inaccurate reports of North Korean missile flight path.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ballistic-missile-wreckage-from-north-korean-test-recovered

Ballistic Missile Wreckage From North Korean Test Recovered

The remains of a North Korean short-range ballistic missile used in a highly provocative test have been lifted from the Yellow Sea for study.

By 2029

My oh my.. they certainly are in a big hurry aren't they 

Yes they are. Developing something as complex as a guided missile, testing it, qualifying and fielding it in only seven years is very fast. Most missiles I have been around took more than a decade to develop and bring to production.

So, Japan has developed hypersonic weapons which will allow its defensive weapons to be correctly calibrated in tests?

Since the original Type 03 missile was tested at White Sands Missile Range against US supplied targets I would image this new version will likewise be tested there or maybe at PMRF Barking Sands against US supplied hypersonic targets.

They are not "under development in Russia." They were invented about 10 years go in Russia and a large variety of them have been deployed for about 5 years.

China is apparently pretty far along and will probably deploy them in the next few years. USA and the EU are way behind. Failed test after failed test. Seems they have gone back to the drawing board as there haven't been any tests for a while

A lot of incorrect information here. First off, the US has been working on air breathing hypersonic air vehicles for decades. Examples are the X-43 scramjet powered aircraft that hit Mach 9.6, the X-51 Waverider and the DARPA/USAF Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept or HAWC, which is concluding a successful flight test program. Unlike hypersonic glide vehicles, air breathing scramjet powered vehicles can fly lower in the atmosphere and be released from aircraft at lower altitudes, making them far harder to detect than an HGV launched on a ballistic missile. This is where the US has put its efforts and the USAF has just released a Billion dollar contract to build HAWCs.

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3167976/air-force-announces-hypersonic-missile-contract-award/

Due to the INF treaty the US could not develop ballistic missiles with HGVs on them, however the US has long tested them. An interesting tidbit is that one of the MDA's target rockets is based on the INF prohibited Pershing II IRBM rocket motor. The US Army is training on a new rocket launched HGV system right now and will be operational next year. The same basic missile will go on US Navy subs next year, and on the DDG1000 class in about two and a half years (the two AGS mounts will be replaced by missile tubes).

https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2022/10/09/us-army-on-track-to-field-24-systems-in-fy23-in-bid-for-a-modern-force/

Russia's Tsircon scramjet powered missile is still in testing. China has nothing yet. China may have DF-17 unveiled back in 2019 but they are still testing different HGV shapes so it is not known how operational it is.

The system the USAF has been having problems developing is a rocket powered hypersonic air launched weapon called Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, ARRW. It uses a solid fuel rocket motor and the design brief is to hit Mach 20, which is more that twice as fast as anything ever launched from an aircraft before (that particular record holder is the Mach 9.6 achieved by the X-43 btw). Early tests were failures but the last two tests were successful and the Air Force is moving forward with fielding them

Last there is a new ground based medium range hypersonic missile called OpFires that is unique in that it has a throttleable solid fuel rocket motor so it can change speeds in flight. It's mounted to the PLS truck and thus air transportable on a C-130.

But, oh yeah, according to resident experts the US and the west haven't been doing anything.