U.S. Army Japan Commander Maj. Gen. Francis Wiercinski said, “The most difficult aspect is getting there and getting established when crisis occurs. But with I Corps Forward that’s already done.”

The two countries are simulating a missile attack from North Korea, and preparing responses to natural disasters. In October, North Korea test-fired five short-range missiles launched off the country’s east coast. The test-firing merely was the latest in a long line of such tests. Last summer, the rogue state fired seven missiles toward the Sea of Japan. Afterward, Japan’s Coast Guard reported that North Korea banned ships from its coast by a wide range, fueling speculation that the rogue state was preparing to launch more missiles. North Korea indeed test-fired several more missiles and conducted a nuclear test. At the time, South Korea said North Korea had about 700 short-range missiles similar to the ones fired.

Japan’s navy is incorporating Aegis capabilities as part of its defense against North Korea. In October, Japan successfully shot down a missile off the coast of Hawaii. A destroyer detected, tracked, and shot down the medium-range missile while in flight with an SM-3 interceptor rocket.

Brian T. Kennedy, president of the Claremont Institute and member of the Independent Working Group on Missile Defense, wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal about missile defense in Japan.

Kennedy cites what he sees as Japan’s lack of concern about strong missile defense. He quotes politician Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, who said missile defense was “almost totally useless…Only one or two out of 100 are ever effective.”

“Unfortunately,” writes Kennedy, “both the new Japanese and the U.S. administrations appear to share an ideological predisposition against missile defense.”

Kennedy briefly summarizes President Barack Obama’s views on missile defense. The administration has cut funding to missile defense and dropped plans to deploy missile shields to Poland and the Czech Republic. Obama envisions a world of no nuclear weapons, whereas our enemies are more realistic. Kennedy notes that Japan sits between China and the U.S., and China intends to continue building its ballistic missile program. Does it make sense for Japan to move in the opposite direction?

“Today China possesses an arsenal of medium-, intermediate- and intercontinental ballistic missiles that could inflict destruction on the Japanese homeland,” Kennedy writes. “In addition, China possesses nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and is developing advanced stealth bombers to deliver them. Next year the Pentagon expects that Beijing’s JIN-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine fleet to be operational. The missiles on these submarines could strike at Japan from a significant distance anywhere in the international waters of East Asia. Beijing also seeks space-based capabilities.”

At the present rate, China may one day overpower the entire continent, including Russia. Will the U.S. be able to protect Japan, considering that our president is lukewarm on missile defense? While both the U.S. and Japan cut spending, countries like China, North Korea, and Iran are putting resources into defense technology.

“[T]he Japanese must continue to build robust defenses. Otherwise it will not be possible to build a strategic relationship between the two over the longer term in which Japan is not merely the junior partner but a supplicant to Beijing.”

Read the full article here.

(Image source)

Facing North Korean missile threats, Japan’s navy is incorporating Aegis capabilities as part of its defense. Although it’s imperative that Japan strengthens its missile defense, the country’s new government leaders didn’t sound too concerned last month.

“Missile defense is almost totally useless,” said politician Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi. “Only one or two out of 100 are ever effective.” (Source)

Fortunately, Japan’s military doesn’t see it that way. Its navy successfully shot down a missile yesterday off Hawaii. A destroyer detected, tracked, and shot down the medium-range missile while in flight with an SM-3 interceptor rocket. (MDA – PDF)

The missile test, called the Japan Flight Test Mission 3 (JFTM-3), is part of an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense intercept flight test, and it’s the third time a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship successfully shot down a ballistic missile target.

“The JFTM-3 test event verified the newest engagement capability of the Japan Aegis BMD configuration of the recently upgraded Japanese destroyer, JS MYOKO (DDG-175),” according to the press release. “At approximately 6:00pm (HST), 1:00 pm Tokyo time on Oct 28, a separating, medium-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii. JS MYOKO crew members detected and tracked the target. The Aegis Weapon System then developed a fire control solution and, at approximately 6:04pm (HST), 1:04 pm Tokyo time a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IA interceptor missile was launched.”

Equipped with the Aegis radar system, the destroyer will take on addition SM-3 receptors before returning to Japan. The Obama administration said the U.S. will use SM-3 interceptors and Aegis radar as part of the new missile shield plan.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

The missiles were launched off North Korea’s east coast. The test-firing merely is the latest in a long line of such tests. on July 4, North Korea fired seven missiles (310 mile-range) toward the Sea of Japan. Afterward, Japan’s Coast Guard reported that North Korea banned ships from its coast by a wide range, fueling speculation that the rogue state was preparing to launch more missiles. North Korea indeed test-fired several more missiles and conducted a nuclear test. At the time, South Korea said North Korea had about 700 short-range missiles similar to the ones fired.

North Korea also launched a ship called the Kang Nam, suspected of carrying banned weapons. After our country launched the U.S.S. John McCain to intercept the ship, the Kang Nam reversed course and return to where it set sail.

Traveling overseas, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downplayed the missile tests.

(Photo credit: Vincent Yu/AP/File)

Earlier this month, the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Organization tasked the Naval Surface Warfare Center to engineer, integrate, and flight-test sub-orbital rockets as tracking vehicles, Aegis Readiness Assessment Vehicles, which simulate missile threats. Japan’s navy is incorporating Aegis BMD capabilities as part of its defense.

Even as costs rise, it’s imperative that Japan strengthens its missile defense, especially in the face of North Korea’s missile tests over the country, but leaders of Japan’s new government don’t sound concerned. (Source).

“Missile defense is almost totally useless,” according to politician Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi. “Only one or two out of 100 are ever effective.”

So, his solution is to reduce missile defense funding instead of building it up. Don’t Yamaguchi and his cohorts care about North Korea’s defiance and nuclear ambitions? Like most left-leaning types, he’s more concerned about social programs than defense.

Yamaguchi may be correct that his country’s current missile defense capabilities are insufficient, but the solution to the problem is bigger and better missile defense, not smaller and worse missile defense.

(Image source: CNN)

The U.S. and Japan partnered to build the SM-3 IIA after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile over Japan in 1998. The new missile defense system would help protect Japan with fewer ships during an attack. U.S. Rear Admiral Brad Hicks said other countries are interested in similar partnerships.

What caused costs to climb? Hicks points to the defense budget. The Pentagon canceled Lockheed Martin’s Multiple Kill Vehicle program, which affected SM-3 IIA missile technology. As expected, Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions raise the stakes in the effort to fund missile defense programs. The president proposes to slash $1.4 billion from the missile defense budget, although the budget may include funding to increase production of Aegis ships equipped with 218 SM-3 missiles.

This month, North Korea conducted a nuclear test and fired at least five short-range missiles. A ship called the Kang Nam, which was headed to Myanmar, was suspected of carrying banned weapons. North Korea threatened to attack Hawaii and hinted at more aggressive actions if its ships were stopped and searched. The U.S. sent the destroyer U.S.S. John McCain to intercept the ship.

The launch of short- and medium-range missiles, and not the long-range Taepodong-2, seems to indicate that Hawaii won’t be attacked. If North Korea goes foward with its long-range missile launch, the U.S. will deploy a missile intercept and radar system to Hawaii to shoot down the missile.

Is North Korea that stupid? The rogue state’s been pretty bold so far.

President Barack Obama will order the Navy to inspect North Korean ships that might be carrying weapons. The rogue state has already threatened war if its ships are stopped for inspection.

The New York Times reports that these proposed inspections are “the most confrontational approach taken by the United States in dealing with North Korea in years” and likely would raise tension; however, North Korea is doing that all by itself with defiant nuclear tests and missile launches. The U.S. should focus on stopping North Korea in its tracks and not worry about “escalating tensions.”

The president will spend today with South Korean president Lee Myung-bak to discuss North Korea’s actions. The U.S. will also work with China, Japan, and Russia to keep North Korea in check.

The U.S. has sent missile-destroying ships to watch the situation. Japan has deployed Patriot missiles around Tokyo and interceptor-armed warships near the country, and South Korea is sending its Aegis-equipped destroyer to the area.

All three countries suspect North Korea is using the launch as a cover to test long-range missile technology, which would result in United Nations sanctions. After failing to give notification for previous launches, which the U.N. called dangerous and provocative, North Korea is providing ample warning this time around. North Korea knows the launch violates U.N. resolutions, but hopes issuing a warning will keep negative comments and admonitions to a minimum and provide China and Russia with an incentive to also buck U.N. resolutions.

Additionally, North Korea has detained a South Korean worker after he criticized the government, increasing tension between the two countries.

On Sunday, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. will not intercept the rocket.

“I think if we had an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it,” Gates said on FOX News Sunday. “But I don’t think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point.”

Sources report that North Korea has notified international civilian maritime and aviation authorities that it will launch a satellite between April 4 and 8.

After failing to give notification for previous launches, which the United Nations called dangerous and provocative, North Korea is providing ample warning this time around. North Korea knows the launch violates U.N. resolutions, but hopes issuing a warning will keep negative comments and admonitions to a minimum and provide China and Russia with an incentive to also buck U.N. resolutions.

The satellite’s trajectory will be over Japan and south of Hawaii.