US-Japan 'join hands' to develop new missile capable of intercepting hypersonic weapons

The Pentagon announced on August 21 that the US and Japan are working to complete a formal agreement on missile development in 2024.

The US and Japan plan to complete the development of new interceptor missiles in the 2030s. (Source: RTX)

According to Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Martin Meiners, the two countries plan to develop a new missile capable of intercepting hypersonic weapons. However, there is still no specific information about funding and implementation time.

The move came after US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio agreed to jointly develop this weapon during a meeting ahead of the US-Japan-South Korea Summit at Camp David, Washington on August 18.

Recently, Russia, China and North Korea are also pursuing, researching and developing hypersonic weapons.

Hypersonic missiles - with speeds above Mach 5, five times faster than the speed of sound, and the ability to change direction in flight, will make it more difficult for radar systems to detect, track and shoot down.

Tokyo and Washington aim to complete development of the new missile by the 2030s, Japan's Defense Ministry said.

Meanwhile, a Pentagon spokesman affirmed: "This development cooperation will build on the long-standing missile defense cooperation between the US and Japan, contributing to enhancing the alliance's deterrence capabilities."

This will be the second time the US has joined hands with Japan to develop an interceptor missile, after the Standard-3 Block 2A missile.

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