TOKYO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Monday that the two Aegis Ashore missile systems that Japan is planning to install are going to cost the nation 268 billion yen (2.4 billion U.S. dollars), which would be much higher than the country's expectation.
Meanwhile, Japan is also falling much behind its plan of completing deployment of the first system by fiscal 2023, as it can only conclude a contract after its FY 2019 budget is passed in parliament, while the U.S. side said that six years are needed to deploy the first system after a contract is signed, according to the minister.
Japan has decided to introduce the ground-based missile defense systems developed by Lockheed Martin Corp. at a Cabinet meeting in December last year.
Officials here have initially said that each Aegis Ashore unit would cost around 80 billion yen (719.2 million U.S. dollars), and Japan would need two units to cover the whole landmass.
Japan has so far taken steps to counter any potential launches of ballistic missiles by deploying high-tech Aegis advanced radar-equipped destroyers which are tasked with stopping missiles in the outer atmosphere, and ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors which will counter the attack at lower altitudes.
The Aegis Ashore system is a land-based version of the Aegis advanced radar system, and with potential to be permanently installed, it is expected to reduce the workload of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces members in missile intercept operations.
Japan has been considering installing the two Aegis Ashore systems at the Ground Self-Defense Force training areas in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures.
The plan, however, has also raised criticism from local residents, as they are concerned that the deployment sites would become targets of terrorism while strong radio waves emitted by the systems could be harmful to people's health.
