Japan and the US on Wednesday signed an agreement to jointly develop a new type of missile defense system as the allies seek to defend against the growing threat of hypersonic weapons, which are possessed by China and Russia and are being tested by North Korea. The project was initially agreed upon between Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Biden at their summit in Washington last August. The Glide Sphere Interceptor is planned for deployment by the mid-2030s. More, from the AP:
- Wednesday's agreement determines the allocation of responsibility and decision-making process, a first major step in the project, Japanese defense ministry officials said. They hope to decide on Japanese contractors and start the development process by March 2025. Japan has earmarked $490 million for initial development and testing of the interceptor, according to the ministry.