[January 15, 2006] Japan, U.S. to jointly test Japanese technologies for interceptor+ Tweet (Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)WASHINGTON, Jan. 15_(Kyodo) _ Japan and the United States plan to conduct a joint test in March off Hawaii of Japanese-developed technologies for an advanced interceptor missile under a joint project to develop a ballistic missile defense system, sources familiar with Japan-U.S. relations said Sunday. The technologies to be tested are a nosecone and infrared sensor for a larger and upgraded version of the Standard Missile-3 interceptor to be deployed on Aegis destroyers to defend against ballistic missiles. The joint test follows a decision by the Japanese Cabinet in late December giving the green light for Japan to proceed with joint development of the next-generation missile interceptor with the United States. It will be the first time for the two nations to conduct a joint test of Japan's technologies for the advanced SM-3. The nosecone is an essential component for protecting sensors and other devices which comes off in the final stage of intercepting an incoming ballistic missile. The infrared sensor, now deployed on the P-3C patrol aircraft, is designed to detect ballistic missiles. In the joint test, the two nations will test whether the nosecone comes off by firing a conventional SM-3 with the nosecone attached from the Lake Erie aegis destroyer, the sources said. Japan will also dispatch a P-3C aircraft with the infrared sensor attached for the test, according to the sources. The two nations are expected to jointly conduct an interception test in the future, they said. Japan plans to shoulder $1 billion-1.2 billion of the cost of the joint development of the missile defense system. Tokyo and Washington launched joint missile defense research in 1999 after North Korea test-fired a long-range missile in 1998, part of which flew over the Japanese archipelago into the Pacific. Japan plans to initially establish a missile defense shield with the conventional SM-3 interceptors by the end of 2007. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]