Posted on 05/26/2010 9:00:20 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
By backpedaling on a campaign promise to move a U.S. Marine Corps airbase from Okinawa, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama may have nonetheless secured additional airborne cruise missile and tactical ballistic missile defenses for Japan.
China is seen as the cruise missile threat since it has developed a new, faster, long-range weapon that can be launched from its Su-27MKK strike fighter fleet. North Korea has the greater fear factor, however, because of its suspected nuclear ballistic missile capability and its government’s erratic behavior and apparent aggressions, such as the alleged sinking of a South Korea warship.
Okinawa is already home to the first wing of U.S. Air Force Boeing F-15Cs carrying an older model of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The Raytheon-designed radar essentially increases the aircraft’s radar range from about 50 miles to around 150 miles (horizontal or vertical) and it allows the fighters to detect small and stealthy targets in time to intercept cruise missiles with specially designed AIM-120C-6 and AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (Amraam) weapons.
U.S. defense officials tell AVIATION WEEK that more AESA-equipped fighters will be stationed in Okinawa to further beef up the anti-missile forces already there. The initial Okinawa-based F-15 unit worked out tactics for cruise missile defense while stationed in Alaska. Two years ago the unit made the shift to Japan’s southernmost airbase, which has responsibility for an area of operations that extends to within about 20 miles of China.
The newest twist is that the U.S. Air National Guard and Raytheon are talking about demonstration of an air-launched, hit-to-kill missile called the network-centric airborne defense element (NCADE) for a ballistic missile defense mission. It uses an Aim-120 Amraam missile body and extends the range far enough to support an anti-ballistic missile mission.
(Excerpt) Read more at aviationweek.com ...
ping
JAPAN ? before you make any decisions.. think about North Korea really hard...
North Korea is not only threatening South Korea. They have been threatening Japan as well with a missile attack.
NK could lob a couple of test missiles into Santa Monica Bay and we’d have Hillary scold them.
I do not think that their test missiles will not clear the launch gantry and if they do will blow up.
IIRC they have sent a couple of missiles over Japan in the last two years.
They have had a really poor record because they are still using liquid propelled rockets.
The short range rockets they have had success but the long range rockets no, because the Taepondong missiles uses liquid propelled rockets.
Yes, that’s why Japan should keep the missile defense system..
good eye! great post!
South Korea should rush in placing their missile defenses.
No kidding.
:D
What do you think is the greater tinderbox ? the Middle East ? or Korea and the South East Asian area ?
Both. The Middle East and the Korean Peninsula are both “hotspots”. I think that a regional war can breakout in these areas.
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