The Ministry of Defense of Japan announced that the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missile has been successfully tested. It was noteworthy that the test came after North Korea’s successive weapons tests.
While North Korea’s successive missile tests increased security concerns in and around the Korean Peninsula, a new defense step came from Japan. The Ministry of Defense of Japan announced that the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missile has been successfully tested.
It was stated that the medium-range ballistic missile launched from the US military base was successfully intercepted at an altitude of more than 100 kilometers over the Pacific Ocean by the missile launched on 16 November from a Maya-class warship equipped with the Aegis missile defense system. In the statement made by the Ministry of Defense of Japan, it was stated that the SM-3 Block IIA missile was jointly developed by the USA and Japan, while it was noted that the system was tested by Japan for the first time.
On the other hand, it was announced that the number of warships equipped with the Aegis missile defense system in the fleet of the Japan Self-Defense Forces was increased from 6 to 8, and it was emphasized that the success of the SM-3 Block IIA missile symbolizes the unwavering alliance of the USA and Japan.
DEFENSE COOPERATION It is known that Japan , the second country to receive the Aegis ballistic Missile
defense system developed by the aviation company Lockheed Martin for the US Department of Defense , is collaborating with the US in the development of the SM-3 Block IIA, the new version of the missile launched through the aforementioned system.
