U.S. approves sale of 2 Aegis Ashore systems to Japan for $2.15 bil

Could improve a lot of aged care and kindergartens with 2 billion bucks. They are so paranoid about attacks from other countries, but Japan is set to implode if something is not done about the deterioration of the welfare and education system.

It's much cheaper than the Great Wall of Trump.LoL

Unfortunately Japan is faced with inflammatory rhetoric, and buzzed by hawks on three and a half sides. She'll need to come up with another 3 billion for 100 F-35s, and we will pay for it all with the coming rise in consumption tax, I suppose. Such is the human condition, playing this dangerous 鼬ごっこ itachi gokko. Unchecked it becomes a vicious spiral.

Just praying for real international leadership, on all sides.

I can proudly say to my great grandchildren that I sincerely can say thank you for paying my debt. Or sorry. My mistake.

Trumping along.

Bet the Ruskies & chinese DON’T like that....too bad.

Cups of noodles all around to pay for this

And we will pay for it all with the coming rise in consumption tax, I suppose. 

NO, the money that will be raised with the raise in the consumption tax has already been earmarked for child care and funding for higher education!

Will the US made missile system be able to protect Japan from North Korean nuclear missiles? Probably not. Thanks to the inept Prime Minister, Japan is being forced to buy exorbitantly priced US weapons just to please Trump.

Japan needs to take it's defense seriously. The consequences of not doing so will be at the expense of our citizens and country.

You can't be a pacifist nation in a neighborhood full of growing military power and aggressive rhetoric, including promises of nuclear destruction upon Japan.

Newly evolving hypersonic missiles and cyber-war programs will downgrade the effectiveness and capabilities of these systems much sooner than people think.

This is all bluster & pride from Abe Inc & buddies to appease the Hawks and Trump.

And guarantee - that $2.15billion will be way off the mark. Expect that to be X times over.

Japan is being forced to buy exorbitantly priced US weapons

Actually the SM-3 ⅡA was a Japan-US joint development project so Japan benefits as much as the US.

The only reason Japan is having to upgrade its defensive capabilities is because of the aggressive actions and rhetoric and rapidly expanding offensive military build up of China, Russia and North Korea. Prior to that Japan had no need to nor did it.

Those that decry National defense needs must leave their doors open as they sleep. Trust, however, seldom keeps the aggressive evil doers away.

The Japanese government budget for this year is like $885 billion. You know there's a ton of wasteful spending there that could be cut. Suddenly $2.15 billion to shore up defense of the nation doesn't seem unreasonable. The North Korea missile threat is going to take time to resolve. Too bad no one had done anything about it until Trump stopped their missiles tests 14 months ago.

And Japan's neighbors celebrate this news since the Aegis Ashore is so easy to defeat with submarine launched ballistic missiles. All of Japan's neighbors have them.

Well, Samit, if that be the case, I guess scrap the Aegis Ashore and buy something more sophisticated from.... lessee, who's got something that can defeat sub launched missiles?

Japan following US orders to support the US economy. Again, the US is making Japan a target and making Japan seem like a nation preparing for war, a war that the US will start in an attempt to maintain its stranglehold over other nations.

Here goes, mother state selling useless stuffs to its vassal state under the pretext that it is a must to protect itself from supposed Chinese invaders, just to milk out its money. LOL. Nice one trump

@Serrano

Well, Samit, if that be the case, I guess scrap the Aegis Ashore and buy something more sophisticated from.... lessee, who's got something that can defeat sub launched missiles?

That would be six batteries of THAAD at $10+ billion.

However, Japanese government is practically bankrupt and can't afford the $10+ billion THAAD; this is why Japan is going for the cheap route with the Aegis Ashore that

1.Must rely on a ballistic missile early warning from Korea to function properly. But Korea is expected to cut Japan off from its radar feed by August due to current P-1 radar and low-level flight controversies and render the Aegis Ashore useless.

2.Sub-launched SLBMs can defeat the Aegis Ashore by flying below the SM-3 missile's minimum interception altitude of 120 km.

The Japanese government is not financially well and is taking steps that were unthinkable just a decade ago to save money. These includes cutting off support for Japan's domestic military aerospace industry, scrapping of the local assembly of F-35 and switching to direct importation from Texas, scrapping of domestic fighter jet development(Only China and Korea will be flowing own stealth fighters in the next decade), retiring tanks and replacing them with cheaper wheeled armored vehicles, asking Japan's local defense contractors to delay accepting payment for upto 2 years so that the government can pay for imported weapons first, etc.

The Japanese government also shortchanged Japanese taxpayers by swapping the THAAD for the Aegis Ashore simply because it was cheaper.

the US is making Japan a target

China, Russia and North Korea are doing that just fine without America's help. Japan is just trying to be a target that can bite back.

Thank you, Trump. US has Japan’s back. North Korea is rapidly becoming a high-tech superpower, so AEGIS will stop there strike ability to Japan.

@Ganbare Japan!

so AEGIS will stop there strike ability to Japan.

All four countries, China, NK, ROK, and Russia can strike Tokyo at will by flying their SLBMs underneath the minimum interception altitude of the Aegis Ashore. Japan is the only country without an SLBM in the region.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32671101

Why would they want to strike Tokyo???

Why would they want to strike Tokyo??

Tokyo has connections with Washington. Plus the Japanese did bad things to Korea for awhile up until 73 years ago.