Kono Cites Technical Issues In Halting Aegis Plan
The Japanese Defense Minister has cited technical issues in announcing a halt to the planned deployment of the land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense system in the country.
Kono Taro said on Monday that his ministry discovered it has to revamp an interceptor missile in order to ensure the safe landing of a rocket booster.
Kono noted the government had explained to residents in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the location of a candidate site for the US-made system, that it would ensure the booster falls within a Self-Defense Force training area.
Kono said the planned deployment is not reasonable, given the additional time and cost in resolving the issue.
Defense Ministry officials admit finding a new deployment site will be difficult without changes to the missile.
The Japanese government wants to prevent the halt of the system's deployment from disrupting cooperation with the United States in countering missile threats from North Korea. Tokyo plans to offer a detailed explanation to Washington.
Opposition parties are gearing up to grill the government at a parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday.
They say the administration had insisted the deployment was necessary to boost the country's defense against North Korean missiles, but that the latest decision contradicted that.
The Defense Ministry says Japan has already struck a deal with the US government worth more than 1.6 billion dollars to deploy two Aegis Ashore units.
