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Japan's Defense Minister issued the official military order within the hour or so. It has been stated in news commentary that the North's Musudan intermediate ballistic missile which is an extreme threat to Japan and had been suddenly moved to North Korea's east coast just two days ago for possible launch without warning, without any kind of statement to international space or aviation bodies for a "test launch" of a missile, means that North Korea could launch a sneak missile launch without any warning to the world. So Japan's Defense Minister ordered Japan Self Defense Forces (SDF) into readiness with...

The first batch of the Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2) missile launchers that Taiwan previously sent to the United States for upgrade has been secretly sent back to the country after being upgraded to the more advanced PAC-3 configuration, according to the United Evening News (UEN) report yesterday. The upgraded surface-to-air guided missile defense system is currently being deployed in Taipei's Nangang District (南港區) to meet the air defense need in the capital city, according to the report. The PAC-3 unit will be ready to use when necessary in response the scheduled North Korean rocket launch later this month, a issue...

A military spokesman yesterday refused to comment on media reports alleging that two advanced anti-missile systems — the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and Tien Kung-III “Sky Bow” (TK-III) air defense systems — had been deployed in eastern Taiwan to deal with the possible launch of a North Korean rocket later this month. Ministry of National Defense spokesperson David Lo (羅紹和) said the military was collecting information about Pyongyang’s anticipated rocket launch and added that the military had requested its anti-missile units monitor and respond to the situation as appropriate. However, Lo refused to comment on whether PAC-3 missiles and TK-III...

In the Pacific, saber rattling is done with missiles. North Korea has announced that it will launch a Taepodong ballistic missile to celebrate the birthday of North Korea's founder, Kim Il Sung, on April 15. The country claims this will be a satellite launch, but most observers agree the test is meant to demonstrate a weapon delivery system. Either way, it violates a fresh agreement that North Korea signed just one month ago pledging not to test long-range missiles. In a notice to the International Maritime Organization, North Korea says the missile stages will splash down near the west coast...

Rush-- w/out translation. Japan is threatening North Korea with deploying and activating its own Missile Defense (MD) system, and shooting down the North Korean ICBM test launched scheduled from between 12 April and 16 April, a move stunningly announced by Pyongyang news sources yesterday and creating considerable tension in Northeast Asia suddenly.No time to do an English translation now but am linking the breaking Japan story in Japanese. Will synopsize later, but wanted to get the thread and linked article up ASAP.

PRC missile could render PAC-3s obsolete NO DEFENSE?：The faster re-entry of a longer-range missile would greatly reduce the effectiveness of PAC-3 missile interceptors acquired from the US, analysts said By J. Michael Cole / Staff Reporter Fri, Mar 18, 2011 - Page 1 A new longer-range ballistic missile allegedly deployed by China and the introduction of multiple warhead capabilities could render obsolete Taiwan’s most advanced missile interceptors, analysts said yesterday. National Security Bureau (NSB) Director Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) told the legislature on Wednesday that China had recently begun deploying Dong Feng-16 (DF-16) ballistic missiles with a range of between 800km...

The Japanese Air Self Defense Forces (JASDF) successfully concluded its annual training exercise at Fort Bliss, Texas. The exercise included target engagement and successful test firings of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in tactical mission configurations. Raytheon Company provided operational support for JASDF's Annual Service Practice (ASP). "It's a great team effort by JASDF, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI) and Raytheon, focused on mission success," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Patriot Programs at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). "The success of this year's exercise speaks volumes to the results this team delivers." Patriot fire unit crews operating Raytheon's...

Aerojet, a GenCorp company, announced today that it provided the advanced Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) propulsion that propelled Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control's (LMMFC) successful PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) Guided Test Flight – 1B (GTF-1B). This mission was the first successful guided flight test for the MSE interceptor where a target simulating a tactical ballistic missile was intercepted in the MSE extended battlespace. The PAC-3 MSE spiral development program is being managed by the U.S. Army's Lower Tier Project Office (LTPO) in Huntsville, Ala. The program is significantly expanding the capability of the already battle-proven...

Lockheed Martin has won a contract from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to explore firing Patriot Advanced Capability-3 anti-ballistic missiles from airplanes. The company said the tests would initially focus on using the Boeing McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle as the launch platform for the PAC-3s. Although the initial $ 3 million funding for the research program is small by the expensive R and D budgets of the BMD programs, its implications could be far reaching. The program is known as the Air-Launched Hit-to-Kill, or ALHTK, initiative. If successful, the program would eventually see U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft equipped with PAC-3s...

On January 29, 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced the approval of a major, long-awaited arms sales package for Taiwan. The $6.4 billion deal includes Patriot advanced capability (PAC-3) missiles along with radar sets and related equipment, UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, Osprey class mine hunting ships, Multifunction Information Distribution Systems terminals, and Harpoon telemetry missiles. China quickly expressed its indignation and blasted the decision as interference in its internal affairs. Beijing also retaliated by suspending some U.S.-China military-to-military exchanges, a move that was widely expected. This time, however, China reacted more assertively than it has...

The US and China completed a series of top-level talks on arms sales to Taiwan, with Washington refusing to give Beijing any assurances that the sales would be stopped or curtailed, a US official said on Thursday. “The US responded to PRC [People’s Republic of China] concerns over Taiwan by reiterating that it has followed a consistent approach,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said. Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg and Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeff Bader conducted the talks this week in Beijing. They are now in Tokyo meeting senior Japanese government officials. In Beijing they met Chinese...

The U.S. Army is becoming a major buyer, and user, of guided missiles. In the next year, the army will spend nearly $2 billion on development and procurement of missile systems. Most of this is for missile systems that are not needed right now, but would be if the right foe were encountered. For example, $480 million is being spent on Patriot Pac 3 anti-missile missiles. The $3.3 million PAC 3 missile is smaller than the cheaper anti-aircraft version (PAC 2), thus a Patriot launcher can hold sixteen PAC 3 missiles, versus four PAC 2s. A PAC 2 missile weighs...

Poland on Tuesday agreed to a new version of a deal on stationing an American missile shield, a government statement said, adding it would be aimed essentially at potential threats from Iran. Warsaw "accepts signing a protocol modifying the accord signed by the Polish and American governments on the installation on our territory of anti-ballistic missile interceptors concluded in Warsaw on August 20, 2008," it said. In September, US President Barack Obama shelved a plan by his predecessor George W. Bush to deploy a missile shield in Poland and a radar base in the Czech Republic by 2013 that Russia...

The first batch of United States Patriot missiles will be deployed in Poland in April, defence ministry spokesman Janusz Sejmej said Saturday, AFP reported. US troops tasked with operating the missiles will arrive at the same time, the PAP news agency quoted Sejmej as saying. The surface-to-air missiles are to be deployed in northern Poland some 60 kilometres (35 miles) from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Poland's Defence Minister Bogdan Klich said last month that the choice of the site close to Kaliningrad had "no political or strategic meaning -- its good infrastructure is the only reason." Polish President Lech...

Poland is set to host a battery of U.S. Patriot missiles and the American troops to man it from the start of April, PAP news agency said Sunday. The Defense Ministry expects the first stage of the stationing of a Patriot air-defense battery and a 100-man service team to get under way in the (northern) town of Morag at the turn of April," the agency said. The Patriots are part of a Polish-U.S. agreement signed last December to upgrade the NATO member's air defenses, following Washington's decision last September to scrap a Bush-era Missile Shield incorporating installations in Poland and...

Raytheon has been awarded a $58.2 million contract for Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical, or GEM-T, missiles. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AAMCOM), Redstone Arsenal, Ala., issued the contract to upgrade 124 Patriot Advanced Capability-2 missiles to the configuration. This is a follow-on contract issued as part of AAMCOM's Patriot missile continuous technology refreshment program initiated in 2000. "Patriot is combat proven and trusted by 12 nations around the globe, and the continuing upgrades speak to the critical role Patriot plays in those countries' air and missile defense capabilities," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Patriot Programs at Raytheon...

As Polish and American parties have agreed the site for the stationing Patriot missiles in Poland will be Morag in the northeast of the country near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. As the Minister of National Defence Bogdan Klich said practical reasons stay behind the choice of the site for the temporary stationing of U.S. air defence batteries The location of Warmia-Mazury province was determined by good logistic and lodging conditions, Klich explained. In Morag currently station units of 20th Mechanized Brigade. “The location of missile bases in Morag will not require significant investment that would have to be made...

The U.S. government announced on January 6 that it awarded the defense manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, a contract to build the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles for Taiwan. The agreement is part of an arms package that the United States agreed to sell to Taiwan in 2008 (eTaiwan news, January 7). The Indian government also recently declared that it was expanding its anti-ballistic missile system to include an anti-satellite program (ASM) (Space News, January 4). Following these announcements the People's Republic of China (PRC) announced on January 11 that it had successfully tested a "ground-based, midcourse missile interception technology." The Chinese...

The United States will deploy Patriot-type surface-to-air missiles in northern Poland some 60 kilometres (35 miles) from Russia's Kaliningrad territory, Poland's defence minister said Wednesday. "Morag was chosen as the location long ago, but we didn't make it public," Bogdan Klich said, quoted by Poland's PAP news agency. He insisted the choice of the site close to Kaliningrad had "no political or strategic meaning -- its good infrastructure is the only reason." Home to a Polish military base, Morag could see the Patriot missiles arrive as soon as late March or early April, Klich said. On December 11, Poland and...

The Kuwait Air Defense Forces successfully test fired Raytheon Company's Patriot Air and Missile Defense System against tactical ballistic missiles. The test firings were held last month at the Udairi Range in Kuwait in conjunction with other Kuwait Air Defense and Land Forces elements during a joint exercise. The test firings used a Kuwait Patriot Configuration-2 Plus fire unit with Guidance Enhanced Missiles as the interceptors, which are operated and maintained by Kuwait Air Defense brigade troops. The Patriot system successfully engaged and destroyed two Patriot-as-a-Target missiles, as well as three foreign Multiple Launch Rocket System-type targets, both configurations emulating...