Japan To Deploy Five Aegis Destroyers By March 2018

Japan has requested budgetary allocation for the land-based version of Aegis ballistic missile defense system in the next fiscal year in the wake of rising missile launch threats by North Korea, local media reported Thursday.

According to the NHK broadcaster, Japan’s Defense Ministry has confirmed its plans to introduce the US-made land-based defense system in order to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.

The ministry also approved its initial plans to increase the number of Aegis-equipped destroyers from four to five by March 2018, saying that all the five vessels would be ready by the end of this year, the report said.

In addition, the ministry has also decided to deploy advanced radar system in order to protect satellites used by Japan and the United States, as well as on development of a radar system that detects stealth fighters, and has included all the related costs in its budgetary allocation request for the next fiscal year, the broadcaster added.