At the Japan-U.S. Security Consultative Committee (2+2) meeting in January 2023, the U.S. and Japan agreed to start discussions on the possibility of joint development of future interceptors. Based on this, the Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense have been deliberating, and as a result, Japan and the United States have decided to start joint development of the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI).
The United States and Japan will work together to bring each other’s strengths in key technologies such as rocket motors, heat resistance, and seekers.
Repeated missile launches and progress in the development of hypersonic weapons have made missile attacks on Japan a real threat around Japan, and there is an urgent need for both Japan and the United States to further strengthen their interception capabilities against hypersonic weapons. The GPI is an asset that contributes to the improvement of Japan’s integrated air defense and missile defense capabilities, and also contributes to the enhancement of the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. Alliance.
The Ministry of Defense will work closely with the U.S. Department of Defense to ensure the success of this joint development and will strive to strengthen the alliance through joint development.