Japan and US are set to join hands this week to develop a hypersonic interceptor missile together in order to counter hypersonic warheads that are being developed by China, Russia and North Korea. Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper has reported this on Sunday (August 13)
Hypersonic projectiles can change course, unlike typical ballistic warheads which fly along a predictable trajectory as they fall from space to their targets. The ability of the hypersonic missiles to change course makes them difficult to target.
Biden and Kishida will meet on the sidelines of a trilateral summit with South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol. The summit will take place at presidential retreat at Camp David, as reported by the Yomiuri.
US and Japan agreed to consider joint development of the interceptor missiles in January. The decision was taken at a meeting of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin with their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada.
Washington and Tokyo developed a longer-range missile designed to hit warheads in space, which Japan is deploying on warships in the sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula to guard against North Korean missiles strikes.
