{"id":45032,"date":"2017-09-26T16:33:11","date_gmt":"2017-09-26T16:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/26\/japan-evaluating-sites-for-aegis-ashore-missile-defense-sytem\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:01:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:01:34","slug":"japan-evaluating-sites-for-aegis-ashore-missile-defense-sytem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/asia-pacific\/2017\/09\/26\/japan-evaluating-sites-for-aegis-ashore-missile-defense-sytem\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan evaluating sites for Aegis Ashore missile defense system"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MELBOURNE, Australia \u2015 Japan is evaluating locations to base the Aegis Ashore land-based ballistic missile defense system of which it has expressed interest in acquiring to better defend against North Korean ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which quoted Japanese Defense Ministry sources, Japan is looking at placing the Aegis Ashore on two sites along the country\u2019s western coast to give complete coverage against North Korean ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The newspaper reported that the sites under consideration for the northern system are either the Kamo sub-base in Oga, Akita prefecture, and the Sado sub-base in Sado, Niigata prefecture; for the system covering the southern part of Japan, either the Unishima sub-base in Tsushima or the Fukuejima sub-base in Goto, both in Nagasaki prefecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sites are all part of Japan\u2019s current early-warning and ballistic missile-defense radar network operated by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, operating a mixture of J\/FPS-3, J\/FPS-5 and other older radars.<\/p>\n\n\n\t