U.S. approves $3.3 bil sale of anti-ballistic missiles to Japan

Asia is increasingly becoming a danger zone and it's better to be safe than sorry. Good luck Japan.

Glad you're so optimistic. God forbid Japan is prepared to defend itself.

You conservatives have so MUCH paranoia and fear. OMG, the North Koreans invade Japan. OMG they will unleash thousands of missiles on Japan---for WHAT purpose? They wouldn't be able to hold South Korea for five minutes without becoming nuclear ash, the only real result of a war. So, this is all game-playing, in ten more years it will be yet another system and a few billion more and Japan never gets out of debt! All to support big military industries and big muscled idiots in the army who are too stupid to get a real job. And.....really "anti-ballistic" system, some of us have real lives and who don't STUDY this crap and hover breathlessly over the news of yet another weapon of mass destruction. Really, there a LOTS of people like us.

OMG I support a strong Japan, I must be a dirty conservative!

I just believe a country has a right to a strong defense, especially one who is surrounded by antagonistic nations.

OMG they will unleash thousands of missiles on Japan---for WHAT purpose?

I don't know. Do you know why does Kim does anything he does? Why is he developing short range ballistic missiles that can only really be used against Japan? To look good in parades?

I'd rather be prepared for anything and not need it, than the opposite.

I'd rather see this money go into the national pension fund so I can get a pension when I retire in 25 years (if you can still retire at 65).

They're going to up that to 70 eventually. I hope you're putting some money away outside of the pension fund.

"This is why being able to make your own interceptor missile is so critical. Korea's getting 2000 interceptors for $30 billion because they make them themselves, while Japan's importing 73 interceptors for $3.3 billion."

And if Japan spends $30 billion for their own home-grown interceptor missiles, you all will be complaining about spending that much too when it could be used for other purposes.

Japan should be looking in to establishing their own domestic defense contractor.

It would not only cut costs dramatically but would reduce the depency on the US government so in time we can ask them to remove all US military troops from the Japanese territory so they can go back where they belong namely the United States.

Article 9 prohibits Japan from using military force as a means of settling disputes, and also prohibits Japan from having a military industrial capability to build and sustain such a military force. So Japan has to resort to procurement of defense-purpose military hardware.

The Japanese legislators and leftists are opposed to PM Abe's efforts to modifying the Article 9 and removing the restrictions so it can be less dependent on the U.S. and have a more capable military force.

Japan, by these very restrictions have no choice but to depend on the U.S.

Wait till the two Koreas reunifies under DPRK regime with China and Russian backing and see how much a threat the new Korea will be to Japan. By then it will be too late and you'll all be wishing Japan had a more capable military force.

"This is why being able to make your own interceptor missile is so critical. Korea's getting 2000 interceptors for $30 billion because they make them themselves, while Japan's importing 73 interceptors for $3.3 billion."

what korea getting is SM3 Block IA/B (high Altitude 150-500km/range 900km) average cost 10-22 millions $ each. Japan has this version entered service since 2007 and currently has at least 200 standby on the 6 Aegis destroyers at sea and a few hundreds in reserved. So no surprise here if SK to produce 2000 of these for $30 billions.

What Japan getting is SM3 Block IIA (also called ADVANCED SM3, High Altitude 1000km/range 2500km) average cost 45-50 millions $ each. The difference? these can intercept missiles from launching China and Russia.

Glad you're so optimistic. God forbid Japan is prepared to defend itself.

> You conservatives have so MUCH paranoia and fear. OMG, the North Koreans invade Japan. OMG they will unleash thousands of missiles on Japan---for WHAT purpose? They wouldn't be able to hold South Korea for five minutes without becoming nuclear ash, the only real result of a war. So, this is all game-playing, in ten more years it will be yet another system and a few billion more and Japan never gets out of debt! All to support big military industries and big muscled idiots in the army who are too stupid to get a real job. And.....really "anti-ballistic" system, some of us have real lives and who don't STUDY this crap and hover breathlessly over the news of yet another weapon of mass destruction. Really, there a LOTS of people like us.

Now we get a country that is not allowed to have a military buying ballistic missiles

No money for pensions but the ability to kill others has an unlimited price tag on it......

Is the term 'Anti-Ballistic Missile' really that hard to understand?

3.3 billion that could be used for the pension system or ANYTHING else, but wasted on an antimissile system.

Glad you're so optimistic. God forbid Japan is prepared to defend itself.

This is for defense purposes but some people don't seem to understand the meaning of it. This is not to kill others like kurisupisu believes.

If you don't like the decisions made by govt leaders, write to your representative. Call them. Protest in the streets and at the next election, vote them out of office.

Now we get a country that is not allowed to have a military buying ballistic missiles in defense of a nation Donald Trump LOVES.

Japan isn't buying ballistic missiles.

Japan will buy up to 73 of the Raytheon-made SM-3 Block IIA missiles,

As a footnote, this is a joint development with Mitsubishi Heavy Industry.

Abe was on the fence until the day he looked lovingly in Trumps eyes and said "Yes, master!" when Trump told him to buy 120 fighter jets.

This was already pretty much decided in December of 2013 in their Medium Term Defense Program where they wanted to replace the F-15 which was considered unsuitable for modernization. Trump had very little to do with it but he sure did make it sound like he made the deal happen. But then, who cares about relevant background and facts? It's how you present it that's most important to Trump because he knows that the voters are gullible. Didn't expect it would work on non-American posters here though.

No money for pensions but the ability to kill others has an unlimited price tag on it......

If you have that plenty of money to buy that missiles .. Compensation first to the all the evacuees in Fukushima!

Now I get it why Trump loves Kim Jung Un so dearly!

More missile launches by NK with Donald's open approval translates to more billions of weapons purchase by Nippon!

Gee whiz! This da-kine POTUS is a savvy , genius first class businessman!

@smithinjapan

Now we get a country that is not allowed to have a military buying ballistic missiles

SM-3 is not a ballistic missile; it is a mid-course interceptor good for shooting down ICBMs heading toward the US, but useless for intercepting missiles heading toward Japan.

This is why being able to make your own interceptor missile is so critical. Korea's getting 2000 interceptors for $30 billion because they make them themselves, while Japan's importing 73 interceptors for $3.3 billion.

"Now we get a country that is not allowed to have a military buying ballistic missiles in defense of a nation Donald Trump LOVES."

it's ANTI-ballistic. read again or if you don't know the difference, google up.

So that's where all the tax Japan is collecting form us is going. Seriously it's stupid

And spend 3 times as much money on research and development?

You have to start somewhere or do you think the US government plans on stopping their policy of securing lucrative deals for their defense contractors anytime soon ?

It has been the bread and butter for the US industrial-military complex for decades now.

Establishing a domestic defense contractor will not only reduces costs in the long term but more importantly make Japan less dependant on the US government which has been long overdue.

however Japan should be looking in to establishing their own domestic defense contractor.

And spend 3 times as much money on research and development? Japan has enough on its platter as it is with the restart of the X-3 stealth fighter program and advanced anti-ship missile.

3.3 billion that could be used for the pension system or ANYTHING else, but wasted on an antimissile system. What a waste.

Japan wouldn't need these anti-ballistic missiles if not for the North Korea situation. Too bad nothing was done about this before. That $3.3 billion could be used to help pay down the national debt that the LDP has racked up over the years.

Too bad the Americans sat down and just drew a line across a country and its people without consulting them. Too bad MacArthur didn’t quit while he was ahead at the Yalu River; there would be no North Korea.

North Korea’s enemy is the US not Japan. They hardly mention Japan. It’s South Korea that hates on Japan everyday. Where else is North Korea supposed to test their missiles? Shoot them over South Korea and into the Yellow Sea? Into China and Russia? The only place they can test them is to shoot them towards the body of water to the east. Japan just happens to be in the way.

The US is using Japan as a shield against the North and getting the Japanese to pay for it. Brilliantly disingenuous Americans brainwashing the Japanese.

Japan wouldn't need these anti-ballistic missiles if not for the US of A.

I have a gut feeling that the recent escalation of the tension in the region was staged or at least manipulated by some parties in order to facilitate these kind of weapon deals. 

Personally I have no problems that the JDSF is boilstering their defensive capabilities however Japan should be looking in to establishing their own domestic defense contractor.

It would not only cut costs dramatically but would reduce the depency on the US government so in time we can ask them to remove all US military troops from the Japanese territory so they can go back where they belong namely the United States.

Raytheon-made SM-3 Block IIA missiles,

Interesting. Trump appointed Mark Esper from Rayhteon to head the Department of Defense.

Has anyone seen Trump's tax info to see whether he's invested in any of the defense industries?

What would you call a political/economic system like America's where those running the government come from big corporations getting subsidies from the big government while the heads of those corporations are getting bonuses for getting those subsidies? While they're paying less in taxes because of Trump's tax-breaks-for-the-rich.

I'd rather see this money go into the national pension fund so I can get a pension when I retire in 25 years (if you can still retire at 65).

This is why our taxes are going up, people. Make no mistake. Abe was on the fence until the day he looked lovingly in Trumps eyes and said "Yes, master!" when Trump told him to buy 120 fighter jets. Now we get a country that is not allowed to have a military buying ballistic missiles in defense of a nation Donald Trump LOVES.

Japan wouldn't need these anti-ballistic missiles if not for the North Korea situation. Too bad nothing was done about this before. That $3.3 billion could be used to help pay down the national debt that the LDP has racked up over the years.

That should help the balance of trade.  not this nonsense about buying corn and opther stuff Japan doesn't need. 

although I guess Funzo could just send the corn on to NK or Afghanistan as a way of either appeasing L'il Kim or looking like he has a heart.