US and Japan launch new defense cooperation as hypersonic and space threats emerge

By David Brunnstrom and Ju-min Park

WASHINGTON / TOKYO (Reuters) – The United States and Japan will sign a new defense cooperation agreement to address emerging defense threats, including hypersonic and space-based capabilities, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blink said on Thursday.

U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers have almost met to discuss increasing security, with a focus on Japan’s role as tensions rise over Taiwan and North Korea’s missile threats.

Blinken said the US-Japan alliance “should strengthen the tools we have, develop new ones as well”, the Russian army against Ukraine, Beijing’s “provocative” actions on the recent missile launch in Taiwan and North Korea.

North Korea successfully launches “hypersonic missile https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-says-launch-wednesday-was-hypersonic-missile-yonhap-2022-01-05” successfully hits this week who has. a target, his state news agency said.

Russia, China and the United States are also racing to build hypersonic weapons, whose extreme speed and maneuverability make it difficult to detect and block with missile interceptors.

“We are launching a new research and development agreement that will help our scientists, our engineers and program managers work together on defense issues, from hypersonic threats to the advancement of space-based capabilities,” Blinken said at the inauguration. of the meeting.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the meeting will help establish a framework for the future of the security alliance, including mission developments, “to reflect Japan’s growing capacity to contribute to regional peace and stability.”

As the surrounding countries are testing hypersonic missiles, Japan is working on electromagnetic “railgun” technology to target these missiles.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida approved last month’s record spending on defense https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-plans-record-defence-spending-2022-with-10th-straight-annual-increase – 2021-12-24, the tenth consecutive increase in the year 2022.

Top Japanese officials have said that developing the capabilities of enemy base strikes is an option that should be considered to boost defense, but some experts say the move could hit obstacles in domestic politics such as the issue of pacifism.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told members of the United States that the international community faces challenges such as “unilateral corrosive attempts to change the status quo, abuse of the use of unfair pressure, and widespread authoritarian regimes.”

The two nations will also sign a new five-year agreement on the deployment of U.S. troops in Japan, Blinken said in an agreement that Japan agreed to pay $ 9.3 billion to share with U.S. forces to maintain Japan for five years. .