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Japan shoots down test missile in space: official
AFP/Yahoo News ^ | 12/18/07 | Miwa Suzuki

Posted on 12/17/2007 10:54:55 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster

Japan shoots down test missile in space: official

by Miwa Suzuki 47 minutes ago

Japan said Tuesday that it had successfully shot down a ballistic missile over the Pacific as part of joint efforts with the United States to erect a shield against possible attacks from North Korea.

Japan tested the US-developed Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptor from a warship in waters off Hawaii, becoming the first US ally to successfully intercept a target using the system.

Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba described the successful test as "extremely significant."

"We will continue to strive to increase the system's credibility," he told reporters, insisting that the missile shield was worth the high cost. "We can't talk about how much money should be spent when human lives are at stake."

The Japanese destroyer Kongou launched the missile from waters off Hawaii, which at 7:12 am Japan time (2212 GMT Monday) intercepted the target missile fired earlier from onshore, Japan's naval force said in a statement.

"The Maritime Self-Defense Force will continue to cooperate with the United States and improve the capability" to shoot down incoming missiles, it added.

The interception was made about 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean, officials said.

The test was "a major milestone in the growing cooperation between Japan and the US," Japanese Rear Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano and Lieutenant General Henry Obering, director of the US Missile Defense Agency, said in a joint statement.

Previous participation had been limited to tracking and communications exercises, they noted.

Japan and the United States have been working jointly to erect a missile shield against possible attacks from North Korea, which fired a missile over Japan's main island and into the Pacific Ocean in 1998.

But the missile defence system could affect Japan's relations with its neighbours "by arousing suspicion in enemy countries," said Yoshikazu Sakamoto, professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo.

"With regards to North Korea, Japan needs to enhance efforts in diplomatic negotiations to seriously address Pyongyang's military threat," he said.

Japan's test outraged peace activists.

Missile defence tests "facilitate military unification of Japan and the United States" and defy Japan's war-denouncing constitution, said Koji Sugihara, a member of a civic group campaigning against nuclear and missile tests.

SM-3 missile interceptors are being put on Japanese destroyers equipped with the state-of-the-art Aegis air-defence system. Japan plans to install the missile shield on four Aegis destroyers by March 2011, including the Kongou.

The success of the SM-3 test paves the way for completion of Japan's missile defence involving missiles fired from both warships and ground-based launchers.

The SM-3 system fires missiles from warships to intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside of the earth's atmosphere.

If the intercepting missile misses the target, the second stage of the shield system, ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) missile interceptors, aims to shoot it down.

Japan introduced its first PAC-3 missile launcher at the Iruma air force base north of Tokyo in March, one year ahead of schedule amid tense relations with North Korea, which also tested a nuclear bomb last year.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: japan; missile; missiledefense; test
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1 posted on 12/17/2007 10:54:58 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; sushiman; Ronin; AmericanInTokyo; gaijin; struggle; DTogo; GATOR NAVY; Iris7; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 12/17/2007 10:55:56 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster (kim jong-il, chia head, ppogri, In Grim Reaper we trust)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

all your godzilla belong to us!
please forgive me. :)
3 posted on 12/17/2007 10:59:00 PM PST by robomatik
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Yes!
4 posted on 12/17/2007 10:59:17 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
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To: TigerLikesRooster
Japan's test outraged peace activists.

Where is Godzilla when you need him?
5 posted on 12/17/2007 11:00:33 PM PST by kinoxi
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To: TigerLikesRooster

This is so cool. North Korea can go ahead and develop it’s missiles, starving it’s people to pour all their funds into worthless systems. Japan with our help will simply shoot down their missiles. Gotta love it!


6 posted on 12/17/2007 11:00:37 PM PST by DoughtyOne (California, where the death penalty is reserved for wholesome values. SB 777)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Sadly, I see that Japan’s “suicide first” brigade has already weighed in on this.


7 posted on 12/17/2007 11:03:59 PM PST by Uriah_lost ("I don't apologize for the United States of America," -Fred D Thompson)
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To: DoughtyOne

The best part is that now the Dems can’t say that BMD is just a propaganda effort organized by the US military-industrial complex.

Japan just proved all the Dems who said it couldn’t be done wrong - with our tech.

Somewhere, Ronald Reagan is getting the last laugh.


8 posted on 12/17/2007 11:23:24 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
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To: Spktyr

He sure is. Wasn’t it Teller that whispered in Reagan’s ear? I believe it was. Both are having the last laugh.

Could have had it a decade ago with cooperation from the Dems.


9 posted on 12/17/2007 11:31:01 PM PST by DoughtyOne (California, where the death penalty is reserved for wholesome values. SB 777)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Way to go Japan!


10 posted on 12/17/2007 11:32:55 PM PST by I_like_good_things_too
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To: DoughtyOne
It is comforting that Japan could be able to defend itself at arms length.

I fear that the USA has lost some of that defense ability because of its broad ports of mass importation and other socio-political factors,

MWD could be more easily delivered by ground transport from an anonymous source

11 posted on 12/17/2007 11:40:56 PM PST by KTM rider (..dumb or dumber in 08 ....choose one)
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To: I_like_good_things_too

I hope they have advanced since the day about 2 years ago when the N. Koreans launched a short range missile flying over Japan and they didn’t even realize it until the U.S. military told them about it.


12 posted on 12/18/2007 12:09:57 AM PST by ONEBYEONE (u)
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To: KTM rider
It is comforting that Japan could be able to defend itself at arms length. I fear that the USA has lost some of that defense ability because of its broad ports of mass importation and other socio-political factors

Japan tested the US-developed Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptor from a warship in waters off Hawaii

Regards

13 posted on 12/18/2007 12:11:33 AM PST by ARE SOLE (Agents Ramos and Campean are in prison at this very moment.. (A "Concerned Citizen".)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

What, no giant robot to destroy the incoming missle? I expected more from the Japanese.


14 posted on 12/18/2007 12:43:57 AM PST by counterpunch (Get Up And Go Fred Go Already!)
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To: Uriah_lost

True, but they are nowhere near as strong as they are in Europe or even America. Most Japanese ignore them like the crazy uncle in the attic.


15 posted on 12/18/2007 2:16:13 AM PST by Ronin (Bushed out!!! Another tragic victim of BDS.)
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To: DoughtyOne
Could have had it a decade ago with cooperation from the Dems.

It is truly amazing what we can accomplish despite the best efforts by the DemocRats to derail everything in the best interests of this country that they see. We have a roaring economy, victory is at hand in Iraq, the Amnesty bill was killed for the time being, etc.

What a bunch of abject failures the DemocRats are!

16 posted on 12/18/2007 4:12:33 AM PST by Thermalseeker (Debates? Those weren't no stinkin' debates!)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

It’s not just the U.S. that can shoot down missiles. Japan can do it now, too!

With two different systems: SM-3 on ships and PAC-3 (for atmospheric intercepts) on land.

Likewise, Israel has the PAC-3 and Arrow systems.

Of course, the U.S. already has some 36+ ground based interceptors for kills in space (our 3rd phase).

And soon the U.S. will be deploying our airborne laser to knock down missiles, for the 4th phase of our missile defenses.


17 posted on 12/18/2007 8:01:13 AM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: KTM rider

We in effect accept trogan horses every day. With only 2% (if that) of the incoming cargo containers being examined, we’re just asking for it.

If ten to twenty cargo containers went off in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong cargo, we could lose a significant portion of our population in a few moments.

My fellow citizens value the almight buck more than safety, and it will be our undoing.


18 posted on 12/18/2007 12:46:12 PM PST by DoughtyOne (California, where the death penalty is reserved for wholesome values. SB 777)
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To: TigerLikesRooster

Massive news.

Good for Japan!


19 posted on 12/18/2007 12:53:58 PM PST by RinaseaofDs
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To: Uriah_lost
Sadly, I see that Japan’s “suicide first” brigade has already weighed in on this.

Well, our own suicide first brigade has been weighing in for a couple of decades now. Japan's got nothing on us in that department.

20 posted on 12/18/2007 9:20:33 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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