At the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's branch base in Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture, a ground-based interception missile "PAC3" was deployed and trained.
"PAC3" is a missile that intercepts ballistic missiles and their parts when there is a risk of falling into Japan. An improved PAC3 has been deployed.
While North Korea launched ballistic missiles one after another, on the 18th, about 20 members of Kasumigaura Air Field Base participated in a deployment training to prepare for interception.
During the training, the crew members pointed launchers and radars into the sky, and extended antennas for wireless communication in vehicles equipped with fire control systems.
Kazuhiro Hongo, the 3rd high-firing captain of the Air Self-Defense Force Kasumigaura Branch Base, said, "We will continue to make constant efforts to protect the lives and property of the people. I think that going on is the most important role. "
Japanese missile defense
Japan's missile defense has a system to intercept with the Aegis ship and PAC3's "two-stage stance", and PAC3 is the "last" to shoot down near the ground when the opponent's missile cannot be intercepted by the Aegis ship. It is positioned as a "fort".
When a missile is launched around Japan, the high-performance radar of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force deployed in various parts of the country will start tracking based on the information detected by the early warning satellite of the United States.
Apart from this, the Aegis ship is also equipped with a high-performance radar and has the ability to catch missiles flying outside the atmosphere of 500 km or more above the atmosphere, and if it is expected to fall into Japan, it is called "SM3". It is supposed to be shot down with an interceptor missile.
The ground-based interceptor missile PAC3 intercepts when it cannot be shot down by an Aegis ship, and is currently deployed at 18 bases nationwide from Hokkaido to Okinawa, according to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
Since the range is as short as several tens of kilometers, it is necessary to deploy it in advance near places where it is expected to fall or important facilities, and the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo's Ichigaya has always deployed PAC3 units for three years. doing.
It also means that troops nationwide are repeating training to deploy quickly.
On the other hand, regarding the missile defense system, it has been decided that two new ships equipped with the "Aegis System" will be built in response to the abandonment of the deployment of the new interception missile system "Aegis Ashore". Issues such as how far the "24-hour, 365-day continuous protection" that was supposed to be realized by "Aegis Ashore" can be realized and the large construction cost have been pointed out.