7th Fleet Focus: US / JMSDF Ballistic Missile Defense Test

The US Navy and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force conducted a successful Ballistic Missile Defense test last Friday, the fifth such test since last September. These tests are leading up towards the SM-3 integration expected for the JDS Kongo (DDG 173) at the end of the year.

The two countries held a regional BMD exercise July 6 and accomplished what they consider a major feat - they calculated and shared the information needed to track a hostile missile from its launch along its intended path, and passed that information to various assets.

“The timeline for us to determine the path missiles travel in is very short,” said Weatherford. “You need to be able to share information quickly so the leaders can make decisions in a timely manner. This time, we actually passed the tracking information all the way to Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe’s office.”

According to Weatherford, the timeframe for that information transfer took about one minute.

As the North Korean missile threat continues to be a major topic in the Japanese media, and with new reports of China building a new aircraft carrier, the strategic partnership in Ballistic Missile Defense is taking center stage in importance to the security of the United States.