ABOUT THAAD
Japan is considering placing on its territory the U.S. missile defense system THAAD. The main reason for this is called the potential threat from North Korea, according to Yomiuri online.
The Minister of defense of Japan, Inada Tomomi in December this year, will visit the American island of GUAM in the Pacific ocean, to personally familiarize themselves with the capabilities of the THAAD complexes, which are in service with the US army.
Thereafter, and based on the financial possibilities, the final decision about purchase or rejection of new systems.
On 19 August of this year it was reported that the Japanese defense Ministry has requested for 2017, a record budget of $ 51 billion. The funds will be spent on modernization of air defense systems, the development of promising models of weapons and the purchase of modern military equipment abroad.
Three weeks earlier it became known that Tokyo hopes to upgrade the air defense system due to possible threats from North Korea. It is planned that the results of the upgrade, the radius of the Japanese interceptors will increase to 30 kilometers and they can intercept North Korean missile “Musudan”. The program starts next year, priority will be given to installations covering the capital. According to a source in the defense Ministry, based in the country of the American air defense in the near future will also be improved.
System THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) is designed for high-altitude interception missiles with a medium range. The cost of one set will be about $ 1.25 billion. A THAAD battery consists of a missile defense radar TPY-2 TM, six launchers, 48 interceptors, as well as control panel and generator.