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Aegis system equipped vessels (ASEV) or are a pair of ballistic missile defense (BMD) warships under construction to be operated by the
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force The , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...
(JMSDF) as dedicated sea-based BMD platforms, serving as an alternative to Japan's now-cancelled land-based Aegis Ashore BMD system.When constructed, these ASEV warship will be the only operational ballistic missile defense ships (BMD ship) afloat. Previously,
Huntington Ingalls Industries Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII) is the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States as well as a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. HII, ranked No. 375 on the Fortune 500, was formed ...
had proposed to the U.S. Navy that a BMD variant of the be considered armed with 288 Mk-41 VLS missile tubes and a BMD radar with 1000 times the sensitivity of the
AN/SPY-1 The AN/SPY-1 is a United States Navy passive electronically scanned array (PESA) 3D radar system manufactured by Lockheed Martin, and is a key component of the Aegis Combat System. The system is computer controlled and uses four complementary an ...
radar of the s. Also, between 1967–1969, the U.S. Navy had proposed a sea-based anti-ballistic missile intercept system (SABMIS) consisting of surface ships armed with anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems, but this program was subsequently prohibited by the ratification of the
ABM Treaty The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, also known as the ABM Treaty or ABMT, was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the limitation of the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems used in defending areas against bal ...
.


Background

Two East Asian nations have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver such weapons—the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
(PRC) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) or
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
. The range of PRC and DPRK missiles are illustrated below. ;Chinese and North Korean missile ranges File:Chinese Conventional Strike Capabilities.png, Chinese Conventional Strike Ranges as of 2020 File:China Nuclear Ballistic Missile Ranges.png, Chinese Nuclear Ballistic Missile Strike Ranges as of 2020 File:North_Korean_missile_range.svg, Estimated range of North Korean missiles as of 2015


People's Republic of China

The first of China's nuclear weapons tests took place in 1964, and its first
hydrogen bomb A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a lo ...
test occurred in 1967. Tests continued until 1996, when
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
signed the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty to ban nuclear weapons test explosions and any other nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments. It was adopted by the United Nati ...
(CTBT) although the PRC is not a signatory of any multilateral nuclear arms limitation or reduction treaties. The
People's Liberation Army Rocket Force The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, formerly the Second Artillery Corps, is the strategic missile, strategic and tactical missile force of the People's Republic of China. The PLARF is the 4th military branch, branch of the People's Li ...
(PLARF; ) controls China's arsenal of land-based ballistic missiles—both nuclear and conventional. The armed service branch was established on 1 July 1966 and made its first public appearance on 1 October 1984. The headquarters for operations is located at Qinghe,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
. The PLARF is under the direct command of the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
's
Central Military Commission Central Military Commission may refer to: *Central Military Commission (China), the highest national defense organization in the People's Republic of China. *Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the highest body in Vietnam ...
(CMC). The
People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force The People's Liberation Army Navy Submarine Force (PLANSF) is the submarine service of the People's Liberation Army Navy. It consists of all types of submarines in operational service organized into three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, the East Se ...
(PLANSF) is the submarine service of the
People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...
(PLAN) and controls submarine-launched ballistic missile forces of the PRC. In an online article dated 13 January 2023, research associate Timothy Wright of the
International Institute of Strategic Studies The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is an international research institute or think tank focusing on defence and security issues. Since 1997, its headquarters have been at Arundel House in London. It has offices on four co ...
(IISS) wrote that PRC has "significantly" boosted its strategic nuclear capabilities with ongoing upgrades to its submarine-launched and land-based nuclear forces, noting recent confirmation from recent official statements and published analysis from the
U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, t ...
. The article also stated that the DoD raised its estimates of ICBM missile silos from 100 in 2022 to 300 in 2022 based on current trends. The DoD also estimated that the PRC had over 400 "operational" nuclear warheads in its inventory as of 2022 and could reach 1,500 by 2035.


Democratic People's Republic of Korea

North Korea showed an interest in developing nuclear weapons dating back to the 1950s. The nuclear program can be traced back to about 1962, when North Korea committed itself to what it called "all-fortressization", which was the beginning of the hyper-militarized North Korea of today. In 1963, North Korea asked the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
for help in developing nuclear weapons, but was refused. The Soviet Union agreed to help North Korea develop a peaceful nuclear energy program, including the training of nuclear scientists. Later, China, after its nuclear tests, similarly rejected North Korean requests for help with developing nuclear weapons. The
Korean People's Army Strategic Force The Korean People's Army Strategic Force (), previously known as the Korean People's Army Strategic Rocket Force (), is a military branch of the Korean People's Army (KPA) founded in 2012 that operates surface-to-surface missiles in the nuclear ...
(
Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...
: 조선인민군 전략군), is the
military branch Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state. Types of branches Unified armed forces The Canadian Armed Forces is the unifie ...
of the
Korean People's Army The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Korean People's Army Ground Force, Ground Force, the Ko ...
that oversees
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
's nuclear and conventional strategic missiles. It is mainly armed with
surface-to-surface missile A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land or at sea. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed installations, or from a ship. They ar ...
s of domestic design as well as older
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
and Chinese models. The KPA Strategic Force was established in 1999 when several missile units under KPA Ground Force Artillery Command were re-organized into a single missile force reporting directly to the office of the Supreme Commander of the KPA via the General Staff. As of early 2020, North Korea's
nuclear arsenal Nine sovereign states are generally understood to possess nuclear weapons, though only eight formally acknowledge possessing them. United Nations Security Council#Permanent members, Five are considered to be nuclear-weapon states (NWS) unde ...
is estimated approximately 30 to 40
nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear exp ...
s and sufficient production of
fissile material In nuclear engineering, fissile material is material that can undergo nuclear fission when struck by a neutron of low energy. A self-sustaining thermal chain reaction can only be achieved with fissile material. The predominant neutron energy i ...
for six to seven nuclear weapons per year.Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What at a Glance
Arms Control Association The Arms Control Association is a United States–based nonpartisan membership organization founded in 1971, with the self-stated mission of "promoting public understanding of and support for effective arms control policies." The group publishes ...
(updated August 2020)
North Korea has also stockpiled a significant quantity of
chemical A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...
and
biological weapon Biological agents, also known as biological weapons or bioweapons, are pathogens used as weapons. In addition to these living or replicating pathogens, toxins and Toxin#Biotoxins, biotoxins are also included among the bio-agents. More than 1,2 ...
s. In 2003, North Korea withdrew from the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperatio ...
(NPT). Since 2006, the country has been conducting a series of nuclear weapon tests at increasing levels of expertise and frequency, prompting the imposition of sanctions. More recently, on September 9, 2022, North Korea passed a law to declare itself a
nuclear weapons state Nine sovereign states are generally understood to possess nuclear weapons, though only eight formally acknowledge possessing them. United Nations Security Council#Permanent members, Five are considered to be nuclear-weapon states (NWS) unde ...
and rejected any possibility of denuclearisation. In December 2022, North Korea ground-tested a solid-propellant rocket motor for potential use on either a land-based or submarine-launched Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). , North Korea has carried out 147 tests of strategic missiles since its first such test in 1984. 15 were carried out under the rule of
Kim Il Sung Kim Il Sung (born Kim Song Ju; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he led as its first Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader from North Korea#Founding, its establishm ...
and 16 under
Kim Jong Il Kim Jong Il (born Yuri Kim; 16 February 1941 or 1942 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second Supreme Leader (North Korean title), supreme leader of North Korea from Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung, the de ...
. Under
Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...
, 119 tests have been undertaken as of December, 2019. An additional 8 missiles in 2021 and 63 in 2022 were subsequently launched (''See bar chart below.''), and a total of 7 North Korean missiles flew over the
Japanese archipelago The is an archipelago of list of islands of Japan, 14,125 islands that form the country of Japan. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East China Sea, East China and Philippine Sea, Philippine seas in the southwest al ...
since 1998 (''See table below, and the map and graph on the right.''). In its published overview for the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) noted that nine ballistic missiles were launched on 4 August 2022 alone, with five landing within Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) while also noting the DPRK's new "hypersonic"
Hwasong-17 The Hwasong-17 () is a North Korean two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile, first unveiled on 10 October 2020, at the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea parade. The Japanese Ministry of Defence estimates its ope ...
ballistic missile system. On 3 November 2022, North Korea reportedly fired at least one ballistic missile off its east coast, including one believed to be a long-range missile, that flew over and past Japan. The launch triggered the Japanese emergency broadcast system, which alerted residents in the prefectures of Miyagi, Yamagata, and Niigata to stay indoors. Later, on 18 November 18, 2022, North Korea reportedly fired at least one ballistic missile into the sea on Friday, believed to be the first successful full flight of its Hwasong-17. The missile landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. Through the end of March, North Korea has launched a combination of at least 2 long-range and 11 short-range ballistic missiles, as well as multiple cruise missile firings, in 2023 thus far, with the
Hwasong-15 The Hwasong-15 () is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by North Korea. It had its maiden flight on 28 November 2017, around 3 a.m. local time. It is the first ballistic missile developed by North Korea that is theoretically capabl ...
ICBM launched on 18 February 2023 travelling for approximately at a "lofted angle" before landing in the sea just west of Japan. On 13 April 2023, North Korea launched an additional missile, while residents of
Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...
were told to seek immediate shelter following statements by Kim Jong-Un wherein he called for "more practical and offensive" capabilities. On 19 November 2023, ROK Defense Minister
Shin Won-sik Shin Won-sik (, born 24 July 1958) is a South Korean politician, retired army lieutenant general and former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He held the position of Minister of National Defense within the cabinet of President Yoon Su ...
informed the
Korean Broadcasting System The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS; ) is the public broadcasting, national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters under the government of South Korea. The KBS ope ...
that an anticipated third satellite launch by North Korea was expected by the end of that month. On the evening of 21 November 2023, North Korea's state-run
Korean Central News Agency The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) () is the state news agency of North Korea. The agency portrays the views of the North Korean government for both domestic and foreign consumption. It was established on December 5, 1946, and now features ...
(KCNA) reported that a
Chŏllima 1 Chollima-1 () is a North Korean launch vehicle. It will be used by North Korea to launch satellites into orbit. The rocket is launched from a coastal launch platform in the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. The rocket has been developed to comp ...
rocket carrying a
Malligyong-1 Malligyong-1 () is a type of North Korean reconnaissance satellite. The mission's first two launch attempts failed, with the third one succeeding on 21 November 2023. This was also the first successful flight of North Korea's new launch vehicle, ...
reconnaissance satellite was launched from the
Sohae Satellite Launching Station Sohae Satellite Launching Station (, also known as Tongch'ang-dong Space Launch Center and Pongdong-ri) is a rocket launching site in Tongch'ang-ri, Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, North Korea. The base is located among hills close to ...
, with North Korean leader
Kim Jong Un Kim Jong Un (born 8 January 1983 or 1984) is a North Korean politician and dictator who has served as supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is the third son of Kim ...
present. On 23 November 2023, North Korea terminated the bi-lateral 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement in response to South Korea's decision to suspend a part of that agreement in reaction to North Korea's latest satellite launch. On 18 December 2023, South Korea said North Korea has fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch came a week after South Korean and U.S. defense officials met to update plans on how to respond to a nuclear attack from the North. South Korean and Japanese officials said the missile travelled for 73 minutes, covering about 1,000 km (621 miles). Note: Text, table, and graphics copied from List of North Korean missile tests; see that page's history for attribution.


Japanese Aegis Ashore program

Japan began developing its current ballistic missile (BDM) system starting in 2004. On 19 December 2017, the
Cabinet of Japan The is the chief executive body of the government of Japan. It consists of the prime minister, who is appointed by the Emperor after being nominated by the National Diet, in addition to up to nineteen other members, called ministers of stat ...
approved a plan to purchase two Aegis Ashore systems equipped with the AN/SPY-7(V)1, based on Lockheed Martin's Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) to increase
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
's self-defence capability against
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
, using SM-3 Block IIA missiles, and also could work with SM-6 interceptors capable of shooting down cruise missiles. Japan to buy Aegis Ashore missile defense systems
Mari Yamaguchi,
The Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are distributed to its members, major ...
/DefenseNews.com, 2017-12-20
The installation sites are at a Ground Self-Defense Force training area in Araya District,
Akita Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is estimated 915,691 as of 1 August 2023 and its geographi ...
and the Mutsumi training area in Hagi,
Yamaguchi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...
(''See Map, Red: BMD FPS-5 radar, Yellow: BMD FPS-3 Kai radar, Blue: Air Defense Group, Anchor: JMSDF Aegis destroyers''). File:Japanese archipelago BMD map.jpg, Initial locations of major
JSDF The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense wi ...
BMD installations (2020) File:AegisAshore DeckHouseComplex in Hawaii.jpg, U.S. Pacific Missile Range Facility File:190809-N-AW818-889C.jpg, NATO's AABMDS site in Deveselu, Romania File:190812-N-AW818-875.jpg, NATO's AABMDS site in Redzikowo, Poland
The proposed Japanese Aegis Ashore program would have been comparable to the land-based Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System (AABMDS) sites deployed by the U.S. in Romania (''pictured'') and Poland (''pictured''). Test installation was built at the U.S. Pacific Missile Range Facility in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
(''pictured'') in the 2000s. A
site Site most often refers to: * Archaeological site * Campsite, a place used for overnight stay in an outdoor area * Construction site * Location, a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere * Website, a set of related web pages, typical ...
in
Deveselu Deveselu () is a Commune in Romania, commune in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Comanca and Deveselu. Geography The commune is situated on the Wallachian Plain, about west of the river Olt (river), Olt. It is locat ...
,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
is operational since 2016, while a site at Redzikowo,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
was slated to become operational in 2022. On 30 July 2018, Japan picked
Lockheed Martin Corp The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North Bethesda, Mary ...
to build a US$1.2 billion radar for two ground-based Aegis ballistic missile defense stations. These are meant to guard against missile strikes. On the same day, Japan's Defense Ministry considered to withdrawing PAC-3 missile interceptor units from the country's northern and western region amid an easing of tensions with North Korea. Ministry officials noted that North Korea is less likely to fire ballistic missiles after it held a summit with the United States on the previous month. But the officials also said the ministry will maintain its order to destroy any incoming missiles. They added that the ministry will be ready to quickly redeploy the PAC-3 units if the situation changes. Japan's Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Yu Myung-hwan agreed that the launch of the North Korean Unha-2 satellite on April 5, 2009, violated United Nations resolutions
1695 Events January–March * January 7 (December 28, 1694 O.S.) – The United Kingdom's last joint monarchy, the reign of husband-and-wife King William III and Queen Mary II comes to an end with the death of Queen Mary, at the age of 3 ...
and
1718 Events January – March * January 7 – In India, Sufi rebel leader Shah Inayat Shaheed from Sindh who had led attacks against the Mughal Empire, is beheaded days after being tricked into meeting with the Mughals to discuss ...
, both adopted in 2006. Japan's cabinet examined approval of a JMSDF AEGIS BMD engagement in the event of a failure of the Taepondong launch. The Japanese government also noted that it could bypass the Japanese Cabinet for an interception under Article 82, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the Self-Defence Forces law. In total, five AEGIS destroyers were deployed at that time. Supplemental to SM-3 capability the Japanese system incorporates an airborne component. Together discrimination between platform tests and satellite launches is possible by analyzing the angle of ascent. On 15 June 2020, Japanese Defense Minister
Taro Kono is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister for Digital Transformation from 2022 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he previously served as Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform from 2015 to 20 ...
announced that work had been halted on the deployment of the Aegis Ashore system because additional costs would be needed to ensure that residential buildings would not be hit by rocket boosters used to launch the missiles. Later in the month Japan's
National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...
confirmed the cancellation of Aegis Ashore. On 23 September 2020, Lockheed Martin noted the potential expense to convert the anti-aircraft (AA) system for maritime use since a revamp in the design is required. The
JMSDF The , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...
has equipped four ships of the s for Long-Range Surveillance Team (LRST) and engagement — , , , and .


JMSDF Aegis Afloat

The JMSDF currently operates 4 , 2 , and 2 guided-missile destroyers as part of its "Aegis Afloat" program (''See table below.''). On 6 October 2022, five warships from the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a multilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
(''pictured'') as part of the military response to ongoing North Korean intermediate-range ballistic missile tests over the Japanese home islands. On 16 November 2022, the guided-missile destroyer fired an SM-3 Block IIA missile, successfully intercepting the target outside the atmosphere in the first launch of the missile from a Japanese warship. Two days later, the likewise fired an SM-3 Block IB missile with a successful hit outside the atmosphere. Both test firings were conducted at the U.S. Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai Island, Hawaii, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy and
U.S. Missile Defense Agency The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is a component of the Federal government of the United States, United States government's United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense responsible for developing a comprehensive Missile defense, defe ...
. This was the first time the two ships conducted SM-3 firings in the same time period, and the tests validated the ballistic missile defense capabilities of Japan's newest s. On 22 February 2023, five warships from the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a multilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
in response to the launch of a North Korean
Hwasong-15 The Hwasong-15 () is an intercontinental ballistic missile developed by North Korea. It had its maiden flight on 28 November 2017, around 3 a.m. local time. It is the first ballistic missile developed by North Korea that is theoretically capabl ...
ballistic missile on 18 February 2023, landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Sea of Japan, in an area 125 miles west of the island of Ōshima, which lies west of the main island of
Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...
. Two additional IBCBMs were subsequently launched on 20 February 2023, with both landing in the Sea of Japan off the east coast of the
Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...
. On 19 December 2023, United States, Japan, and South Korea announced the activation of a real-time North Korea missile warning system as well as jointly established a multi-year trilateral exercise plan in response to North Korea's continued ballistic missile launches. ;List of Aegis Afloat ships


Design

In 2020, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi announced plans to build 2 new Aegis destroyers to replace its scrapped land-based Aegis Ashore ballistic missile interceptors program. On August 31, 2022, the Japan Ministry of Defense announced that JMSDF will operate two "Aegis system equipped ships" (イージス・システム搭載艦 in Japanese) to replace its earlier cancellation of the Aegis Ashore program, commissioning one ship by the end of fiscal year 2027, and the other by the end of FY2028. The budget for design and other related expenses are to be submitted in the form of “item requests” (i.e., engine components), without specific amounts, and the initial procurement of the lead items are expected to clear legislation by FY2023. Construction is to begin in the following year of FY2024. The overall cost of building both ships is estimated to be 1 trillion yen (US$7.1 billion). The first ship is planned to be commissioned in 2028 and the second in 2029.


Initial SWATH design approach

Preliminary design postulated that the ASEV would be based on the Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) configuration used by s, with the combined main deck area sufficient to accommodate the Aegis radar deckhouse and battery of SM-6 interceptor missile launchers. Such a SWATH-based configuration would be comparable to the 1986 CGH-67 design study (''pictured'') by the then David W. Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development Center of the
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
's
Naval Sea Systems Command The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is the largest of the United States Navy's United States Navy systems commands, five "systems commands," or materiel (not to be confused with "material") organizations. From a physical perspective, NAVSEA ha ...
(NAVSEA) albeit without the explicit BMD orientation.


Current design

Original plans for the two ASEV ships called for a cruiser-sized warship with a standard displacement of each, an overall length of , and a beam of on a monohull configuration. The overall size offers enhanced habitability for its 110-person crew for extended deployments and relative simplicity in construction, and it is designed to provide a stable platform for its advanced sensors and weapon systems. Once completed, the two warships will be the largest
surface combatant Surface combatants (or surface ships or surface vessels) are a subset of naval warships which are designed for naval warfare, warfare on the surface of the water, with their own weapons and armed forces. They are generally ships built to fight oth ...
ships in service with the JMSDF, and according to ''
Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (often abbreviated as ''PM'' or ''PopMech'') is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do it yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation an ...
'', they will "arguably ethe largest deployable surface warships in the world." However, in November 2022, both
Kyodo News is a nonprofit cooperative news agency based in Minato, Tokyo. It was established in November 1945 and it distributes news to almost all newspapers, and radio and television networks in Japan. The newspapers using its news have about 50 million ...
and
Jiji Press is a news agency in Japan. History Jiji was formed in November 1945 following the breakup of Domei Tsushin, the government-controlled news service responsible for disseminating information prior to and during World War II. Jiji inherited Dom ...
quoted an unnamed senior official in Japan's Ministry of Defense who noted that the proposed ASEV warships might be downsized in a size similar to s as their original proposed beam significantly reduced speed and maneuverability, making the ships easier to detect and target by the enemy. Later, on 23 December 2022, the Japanese MOD released additional 2023 budget and program guidance, including the first official illustration of the ASEV warship (''See article info-box.''), although no further details on ASEV ship dimensions were provided beyond the original facts and figures from the August 2022 release. USNI news editor Sam LaGrone noted that the overall design of the ASEV warship was comparable to the U.S. Navy's next-generation
DDG(X) The DDG(X) or Next-Generation Guided-Missile Destroyer program of the United States Navy aims to develop a class of surface combatants to succeed 22 Flight II s and 28 Flight I/II s. The program is the culmination of the Large Surface Combatant ...
guided-missile destroyer (''pictured'').


Procurement

According to its published budget overview, for Fiscal Year 2023, the Japanese Ministry of Defense allocated 22.8 billion yens (US$1.654 billion) for the initial procurement of advanced components for the ASEV program in order to "significantly improved BMD capability capable of responding to lofted and simultaneous ballistic missiles, as well as expandability for responding to
HGVs A large goods vehicle (LGV), or heavy goods vehicle (HGV), in the European Union (EU) is any lorry with a Gross combined weight rating, gross combination mass (GCM) of over . Sub-category N2 is used for vehicles between 3,500 kg and and N ...
and other such threats." In related news, in a statement released on April 4, 2023, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced the signing of four contracts worth 382.47 billion yens (US$2.83 billion) last week with
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...
(MHI) for development of standoff defense weapon systems for the Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF). This standoff defense capability is expected to provide the JSDF with long-range strike capabilities against ships and amphibious forces invading Japan, particularly at its remote islands, such as the disputed
Senkaku Islands The Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan, are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan. They were historically known in the Western world as the Pinnacle ...
administered by Japan, and its southwestern islands. On 19 December 2023,
Defense Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
Minoru Kihara announced approval for the funding for the construction of Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEV) in Fiscal Year 2024 and FY 2025 to be commissioned in 2027 and 2028 respectively. Initial FY 2024 ASEV funding was set at 373.1 billion yen (US$2.6 billion), a slight reduction from the 379.7 billion yen (US $2.64 billion) that the Japanese Ministry of Defense had sought in its initial FY 2024 budget request submitted in August 2023. This ASEV procurement decision was subsequently affirmed when the Japanese Cabinet approved the Ministry of Defense's budget for Fiscal Year 2024 on 22 December 2023.


Equipment


Ballistic missile defense systems

As a ship-based alternative to the land-based Aegis Ashore system, the Aegis system-equipped warships could be armed with the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) Sea-Based Terminal (SBT) system (''pictured''), as well as the J7.B Aegis Weapon System and Lockheed Martin's SPY-7(V)1 multi-functional radar, initially contracted for Aegis Ashore. According to
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...
, J7.B is the integration of SPY-7 into J7 (BL9), the latest software currently installed on JMSDF's Aegis-equipped guided missile destroyers. The SPY-7(V)1 radar uses scaled equipment and software derived from the advanced Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) located in the Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, and operated by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). In support of this objective, on 20 October 2022, the
U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
approved and the
Defense Security Cooperation Agency The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is an agency within the United States Department of Defense (DoD) which provides financial and technical assistance, transfer of defense materiel, training and services to allies, and promotes militar ...
(DSCA) notified the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
that Japan is set to be the first country after the United States to field the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) as part of a proposed US$450 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) arms package. Pending Congressional approval, Japan was conditionally approved to buy up to 32 of the
Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
-built SM-6 Block I missiles. This notification is a follow-up of a 2017 decision from
U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, t ...
that conditionally approved Japan, South Korea, and Australia to buy SM-6 missile systems.


Weapon systems

The ASEV warships will be equipped to defend against
hypersonic glide vehicle A hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) is a type of warhead for ballistic missiles that can maneuver and glide at hypersonic speed. It is used in conjunction with ballistic missiles to significantly change their trajectories after launch. Convention ...
s, as such new hypersonic missile designs are too evasive for current ballistic missile defense systems to reliably intercept. Also, the two ships will be equipped with the upgraded sea-based version of the Type-12 anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) system capable of striking land and naval targets with a range of around . Given the manpower requirements, non-BMD armament may be limited to such close-in self-defense weapon systems as
Phalanx CIWS The Phalanx CIWS () is an automated gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats. It was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Co ...
or
SeaRAM The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the German, Japanese, Greek, Turkish, South Korean, Saudi Arabian, Egyptian, Mexican, UAE, and United States navies. It wa ...
. On 16 December 2022, Defense Buildup Program (防衛力整備計画) document announced a 110.4 billion yen (US$820 million) budget allocation to modify the JMSDF's Aegis-equipped guided missiles destroyers to carry Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles (TLAM). Although it is not stated what specific modifications are to be undertaken,
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...
's Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS) is the likeliest system to be integrated into the Aegis destroyers. The
Japanese government The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty- ...
had previously approached the
U.S. government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, executi ...
to purchase the U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile for attacking enemy bases. The Japanese government decided to purchase the Tomahawk cruise missile before their domestically built improved range Type 12 surface-to-ship missile systems started full-scale operation. The intent behind the JMSDF acquiring both long-range cruise missile systems is to act as a deterrent to North Korea, with the weapons able to strike naval and land targets. In a tweet posted on 17 December 2022,
Satō Masahisa is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Fukushima Prefecture, he graduated from National Defense Academy of Japan with a major in applied phys ...
, Director, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense of the
House of Councillors The is the upper house of the National Diet of Japan. The House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives is the lower house. The House of Councillors is the successor to the pre-war House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers. If the t ...
in the
Diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
, stated that the proposed ASEV warships would be capable of speeds in excess of ; Standard Missile 6 (SM6) and Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) systems; 12 anti-ship standoff missiles;
Cooperative Engagement Capability Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) is a sensor network with integrated fire control capability that is intended to significantly improve battle force air and missile defense capabilities by combining data from multiple battle force air search ...
(CEC) and Engage-on-Remote (EoR) functions; and now 128 VLS cells. On 23 December 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Defense released its 2023 budget and program guidance that featured the first official illustration of the ASEV warship, revealing that its missile arsenal will use the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (Mk 41 VLS) grouped in two locations, forward of the bridge deckhouse and aft above the helicopter hangar. On 17 November 2023, the
U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
announced the sale of up to 200 Tomahawk Block IV All Up Rounds (AURs) (RGM-109E) cruise missiles, 200 Tomahawk Block V AURs (RGM-109E) cruise missiles, and 14 Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control Systems to the Japanese Ministry of Defense as part of a part of a US$2.35 billion foreign military sales package. One month previously Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara indicated a planned buy of Block IV Tomahawks in FY2025 and Block V in FY2026 and FY2027, thereby advancing acquisition Block IV acquisition by a year. In a press conference on 20 November 2023, Kihara stated that the Defense Ministry would coordinate closely with United States in the delivery of the Tomahawk missile system on its sea-based and ground platforms. On 28 March 2024, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced the start of Tomahawk missile training of JMSDF personnel by the United States Navy. Initial training would take place onboard the guided-missile destroyer based at
United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka or is a United States Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan. Its mission is to maintain and operate base facilities for the logistic, recreational, administrative support and service of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan, Seventh Fleet and other operating ...
.


Ship sensor systems

The ASEV warships will use the UNIted COmbined Radio aNtenna (UNICORN) NORA-50 integration mast, which has a bar-shaped dome that houses the antennas for tactical data link, Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN), and communications. According to the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), UNICORN has a shape designed to reduce the radar cross section (RCS), which makes it stealthy. It is currently being installed on the s entering service or under construction, and there is a possibility that they will be considered for integration into the proposed Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel program.


Propulsion & power systems

Given the manning and electrical requirements, the Aegis system equipped vessels (ASEV) requires a highly automated, low maintenance, all-electrical propulsion system. One such system is a Combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion (''pictured''), consisting of diesel engines for cruising and gas turbines that can be switched on for high-speed transits, and it is used on the JMSDF's and helicopter carriers as well as s. In May 2024, it was announced that the two ASEV warship would be equipped with
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
MT30 gas turbines as their main propulsion plant.


Operational concept

On 16 December 2022, the Japanese Cabinet approved a trio of defense-related policy documents, including its new National Security Strategy (NSS or 国家安全保障戦略), the strategic guideline document for the Japanese government's policies regarding diplomacy, defense, and economic security for the next decade. Based on the NSS, the National Defense Strategy (NDS or 国家防衛戦略) document outlined Japan's defense policy goals and the means to achieve them while the Defense Buildup Program (DBP or 防衛力整備計画) document outlined the scale of the introduction of specific defense equipment within the budgetary objectives. According to the Defense Buildup Program document, the JMSDF will increase the number of Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyers (DDG) from the current 8 to 10 warships, as well as the introduction of two Aegis system-equipped vessels (ASEV) to be deployed in ballistic missile defense (BMD) operations. By the end of the decade, the JMSDF will operate 12 ships equipped with Aegis Weapon System (AWS) and likewise plans to replace its fleet of older, less capable destroyers and destroyer escorts with s. On 23 December 2022, the Japanese Ministry of Defense's 2023 budget and program guidance documented provided examples of operations (運用の一例) for the Aegis-equipped naval forces of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF). The two ASEV warship would be exclusively tasked for dedicated ballistic missile defense (BDM) missions (BMD等) and operate off the Korean peninsula in the
Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...
, allowing the other Aegis guided-missile destroyers to meet other contingencies (侵攻阻止) while operating independently to maintain the
maritime domain awareness Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is defined by the International Maritime Organization as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. MDA is said to ...
(MDA) and keep the
sea lines of communication Sea lines of communication (abbreviated as SLOC) is a term describing the primary maritime routes between ports, used for trade, logistics and naval forces. It is generally used in reference to naval operations to ensure that SLOCs are open, or ...
(SLOC) open in the
East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...
southwest of the Japanese home islands (''pictured'').


Criticisms

Senior research fellow Brent Sadler of
The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (or simply Heritage) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1973, it took a leading role in the conservative movement in the 1980s during the Presi ...
criticized the proposed ASEV program, noting that the total of two units was insufficient to keep an AESV ship deployed continuously at sea. Sadler noted that the more typical operational cycle would require at least three ships, with one ship at sea on deployment, a second ship undergoing refit and upkeep following deployment, and a third ship going through work-up for deployment to relieve the first ship. Sadler also noted that the 2027–2029 timeframe to complete the construction of both AESV ships leaves Japan highly vulnerable during the interim period. Regarding Japan's relative vulnerability,
StrategyPage James F. Dunnigan (born August 8, 1943) is an author, military-political analyst, Defense and State Department consultant, and Wargaming, wargame designer currently living in New York City. Career Dunnigan was born in Rockland County, New York ...
noted that the original Aegis Ashore BMD land-based facilities would not have been operational until 2024. Additionally, senior defense analyst Felix Chang of the
Foreign Policy Research Institute The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) is an American think tank based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that conducts research on geopolitics, international relations, and international security in the various regions of the world and on eth ...
(FPRI) observed that the proposed ASEV warships would be extremely vulnerable to such next-generation Chinese
anti-ship ballistic missile An anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is a military ballistic missile system designed to hit a warship at sea. Due to the high flight speed of ballistic missiles, an ASBM's kinetic energy alone may be sufficient to cripple or outright des ...
s as the
DF-21D The Dongfeng 21 (DF-21; NATO reporting name CSS-5 - Dong-Feng () is a two-stage, solid-fuel, single-warhead medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) developed by China's Changfeng Mechanics and Electronics Technology Academy. A part of the Dongfe ...
and
DF-26 The Dong Feng-26 or DF-26 (; NATO reporting name: CH-SS-18) is an intermediate-range ballistic missile deployed by the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force and produced by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Chinese ...
, with DF-21D having a range of 1,500 kilometers while the DF-26 has a range of 4,000 kilometers. Chang also mentioned that China has fitted its DF-21D missiles with
maneuverable reentry vehicle The maneuverable reentry vehicle (abbreviated MARV or MaRV) is a type of warhead for ballistic missile, ballistic missiles that is capable of maneuvering and changing its trajectory. There are two general reasons to use MARV. One is to make it ...
s that guide with terminal seekers to compensate and correct for any inaccurate targeting data. Finally, senior fellow
Zack Cooper Zack Cooper is an American national security and foreign policy analyst currently serving as a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University, and a lecturer in Public and Interna ...
of the
American Enterprise Institute The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, known simply as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), is a center-right think tank based in Washington, D.C., that researches government, politics, economics, and social welfare ...
pointed out that a sea-based BMD system is overall not a more cost-effective alternative to a shore-based system. In 2020, Japanese news media reported that officials within the Japanese Ministry of Defense recognized that alternatives to the land-based Aegis Ashore system would all be significantly more expensive, by up to half again as costly.


Ships in the class


Naming conventions

Neither ASEV warship has been officially named. Ships of the JMSDF are known as Japan Ships (; Go' :-Kan) and are classified according to the warship type.
Guided-missile destroyer A guided-missile destroyer (DDG) is a destroyer whose primary armament is guided missiles so they can provide anti-aircraft warfare screening for the fleet. The NATO standard designation for these vessels is DDG, while destroyers which have a pr ...
s (DDG) are named after the names of places in Japan, such as mountains and provinces while more conventional
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
s (DD) are named after natural phenomena in the heavens or the atmosphere as well as mountains, rivers or regions. It is not known if ASEV warship will have a new type designation such as
guided-missile cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
(CG) or ballistic missile defense ship (BMD Ship).


See also

* ''Kongō''-class destroyer * ''Atago''-class destroyer * ''Maya''-class destroyer * Arsenal ship * * CG(X) *
DDG(X) The DDG(X) or Next-Generation Guided-Missile Destroyer program of the United States Navy aims to develop a class of surface combatants to succeed 22 Flight II s and 28 Flight I/II s. The program is the culmination of the Large Surface Combatant ...
* * * * Strike cruiser * *
Type 055 destroyer The Type 055 destroyer (NATO/ OSD designation Renhai-class cruiser) is a class of stealth guided-missile destroyers (rated as guided-missile cruisers per NATO/OSD standard parlance) constructed for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (P ...
*


Notes


References


Bibliography


Secondary sources

*


Official sources


Japanese Ministry of Defense

* * * * *


United States sources

* *


Periodicals

* * *


External links


Japanese Ministry of Defense


Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD)



YouTube


China is getting restless, Japan will build two 20,000-ton missile defense warships
– AZH M.H. – September 7, 2022
Japan is building massive ''Kirov''-like battlecruisers?
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Watch out China — Japan to have two supersized warships!
– Defense Updates – September 7, 2022
Japan is building 20,000-ton Mega Destroyers – Is this only for defence?
– Eurasian Naval Insight – September 12, 2022
Japan Building Two Super-Sized Destroyers As An Alternative To Aegis Ashore
– Secret Weapons – November 23, 2022
Japan's Genius Idea to Builds New World's Largest Warships since the End of WWII
– Weapons of The World – December 30, 2022
Japan Navy Continues to Invest for Aegis System Equipped Vessels to Counterbalancing Threats
– Public Nation – January 3, 2023
DSEI Japan 2023: SPY-7, ASEV, Landing craft for JGDSF, Patria, Safran, US-2 Seaplane
– Naval News – March 21, 2023
Sketch released of Japan's largest warship since #WorldWar2 ! #AegisSystemEquippedVessels
– Defense Updates – August 1, 2023
Japan’s Future Aegis Missile Defense Ship Revealed
– World Forum – August 1, 2023
Why Japan is Growing into a Naval Military Powerhouse
– HistoryLegend – October 1, 2023 {{DEFAULTSORT:Aegis system equipped ships Proposed ships Ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Ships built in Japan