U.S. and Japan Develop Hypersonic Defense Measures
Growing Fear of Hypersonic Weapons
Since the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, other nations have rarely outpaced the United States in military technology. The U.S. has always led the Eastern Bloc, including the Soviet Union, in all aspects of missiles and nuclear weapons. This trend remained unchanged even after the Cold War. However, the situation has changed as China and Russia have successfully deployed hypersonic weapons. The technology the U.S. had not felt the need to develop as quickly.
The U.S. felt a significant threat from losing the lead in this technology. Mainly because it is regarded as an asymmetric power. Recently, in addition to developing weapons utilizing hypersonic technology, the U.S. is also working on measures to defend against them. It is currently developing a system to protect against hypersonic missiles in collaboration with Japan. Let’s take a closer look at this.
Lost Superiority
Missile Defense Line in Japan
China and Russia have each successfully deployed hypersonic missiles, such as the Dongfeng (DP-17) and the Avangard missile, respectively. Suspicions already exist that Russia has used these missiles in Ukraine. This signals to the U.S. that an adversary has completed the practical use of a weapon the U.S. does not possess.
If China or Russia were to launch a missile at the U.S., it would likely have to pass through Japanese airspace. Therefore, the U.S. views Japan as the first line of defense against missiles coming into its territory. This is the main reason why this joint development project has proceeded smoothly.
Japan Developing Railgun
Japan is even developing a railgun that can launch projectiles faster and further to counter hypersonic weapons. The U.S. has expressed its intention to create a draft of the development with Japan and select the better one to focus on.
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