Japan to upgrade defence system for Olympics as North Korean missile threat grows
The move, likely to start next year, will double the range of current PAC-3 missiles to around 30km
Japan is upgrading its Patriot PAC-3 missile defence system in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, adding range and accuracy needed to intercept more advanced North Korean ballistic missiles, four sources with knowledge of the plan said.
The move represents the most significant upgrade to Japan’s missile defence system in a decade and is part of an increase in military spending in the region, where geopolitical tensions are rising.
The roll-out of the new advanced Missile Segment Enhancement, which could double the range of the current PAC-3 missiles to around 30km, will likely start next year, said the sources, who were not authorised to speak publicly about the project.
“The upgraded PAC-3 is necessary to counter the Musudan,” said one source, referring to Pyongyang’s intermediate-range ballistic missile.
North Korea in June test-fired what appeared to be two Musudan rockets. The first failed, but the second travelled 400km, more than halfway towards the southwest coast of Japan and reached a height of 1,000km – enough altitude to give its warhead a range of more than 3,000km.