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Japan, US to develop new radar system for Aegis warships
March 17, 2019 (Mainichi Japan)
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- Japan and the United States are working toward the joint development of a new radar system for Aegis-equipped U.S. Navy warships, as part of efforts to improve defense capabilities, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

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Japan regards the envisioned joint development as important to its defense. But the country's involvement in the project could cause concerns about it being seen as encouraging an arms race between major powers, some observers said.

Japan's development together with the United States of the SM-3 Block 2A interceptor was completed this month and it has moved into production.

The new radar system to provide 360 degrees of surveillance on the warships is expected to be the next pillar of Japan's defense collaboration with the United States.

The warships plan to have two different types of air and missile defense radar in the future. One is AN/SPY-6, with an upgraded radar to be used to detect high-altitude threats, which is on schedule to be delivered starting in 2020.

Currently, the AN/SPQ-9B system is used to detect and track low-flying threats. But it is a traditional rotating radar that cannot completely avoid having blind spots.

The new radar to be developed by Japan and the United States will be a non-rotating system, according to the sources.

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