President Donald Trump is urging Japan to purchase more U.S. military equipment to better defend itself against the growing threat from North Korea.
Japan will be able to “shoot them out of the sky when [Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe] completes the purchase of a lot of military equipment from the United States,” the president said in response to a question about why Japan did not attempt to intercept the missiles recently fired over northern Japan.
North Korea twice — once in late August and again in September — fired Hwasong-12 intermediate range ballistic missiles over Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean in two highly provocative missile tests. In both instances, the Japanese military did not move to intercept the weapons systems. Aboard Air Force One on the way to Japan, Trump reportedly told journalists that he did not understand why a country of samurai warriors did not shoot down the North Korean missiles shot over its territory.
Japan already purchases a lot of military equipment from the U.S., but Abe acknowledged that the island nation needs to “enhance our defense capability.” North Korea’s frequent ballistic missile and nuclear provocations are alarming for Japan, a constant target of North Korea’s bellicose rhetoric and the only country to ever be on the receiving end of a nuclear weapon. Pyongyang’s activities have led to regular discussions regarding Japan’s ability to defend itself against new regional threats.
“Missile defense is something based on cooperation between Japan and the US,” the prime minister explained, adding that if intercepting a missile proves “necessary,” of course, Japan will take that step.
Japan currently maintains a tiered missile defense system involving Aegis-equipped destroyers and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) units. Japan has also expressed a very strong interest in Aegis Ashore and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system defending South Korea and Guam. It is unclear exactly which defense units the president is pushing Japan to purchase.
Some expert observers argue that while Japan might be able to successfully shoot down a missile flying toward its territory, its defense systems are likely to struggle against a high-altitude ballistic missile flying over the country toward a target far from its shores in the Pacific. Japan has assured the U.S. that it will attempt to intercept any missile fired at a U.S. territory in the Pacific, but leading missile defense experts question whether Japan would actually be able to fulfill its pledge.
The president’s discussion with Abe came during his stay in Japan, part of a two-week tour of Asia that will also take Trump to South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. North Korea is at the top of the president’s agenda.
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