TOKYO: Japanese premier Sanae Takaichi is expected to announce Tokyo's participation in the "Golden Dome" US missile defence system when she meets President Donald Trump next week, a report said Friday (March 13).
Billed as a next-generation missile defence shield, the Golden Dome for America "will progressively protect our nation from aerial attacks from any foe," including through space-based interceptors and sensors, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said last year.
Citing several unnamed government sources, Japan's Yomiuri daily said Takaichi is expected to discuss the initiative with Trump during their planned March 19 meeting in Washington, and convey to him Japan's intention to join.
The aim is for the allies to jointly develop interceptors and a satellite network as a counterforce to hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) pursued by China and Russia, the newspaper said.
The HGVs are said to be capable of flying at a speed of at least Mach 5.
By participating in the Golden Dome initiative, Japan wants to boost its own self-defence capabilities, the Yomiuri said.
Japan has been shedding its strict pacifist stance in recent years, moving to obtain "counterstrike" capabilities and doubling military spending to two percent of GDP.
In December, the government approved a record budget for the upcoming fiscal year that starts next month, including a record nine trillion yen (US$56.5 billion) for defence spending. - AFP
