Aeronautics, Space and Defence

December 2005

Japan to Pay $1-1.2 Billion for Missile Development with U.S.
Japan will shoulder $1 billion-1.2 billion of the cost of the joint development of a next-generation interceptor missile with the United States, the Defense Agency told the Security Council of Japan on Thursday. The two countries have been jointly conducting research into the new missile since 1999 and plan to start the development stage in the next fiscal year that begins March. The new missile will be an advanced version of the sea-based Standard Missile 3 to be deployed on Aegis-equipped destroyers. (Kyodo News, December 15, 2005)