Japan considers building IAMD, the same missile defense system as US

The Japanese government is considering a plan to specify the construction of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) that the United States is promoting in the three major security documents, including the National Security Strategy, which is scheduled to be revised this month, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. reported on December 5th. IAMD refers to a system that responds to air attacks by utilizing land, sea, air, space, and cyber means.

Japan currently has a "comprehensive missile defense" that specializes in intercepting missiles. However, with the establishment of the policy of possessing a "counterattack capability," the plan is to build an IAMD that includes offensive operations against the enemy's territory with the aim of preventing the enemy's missile attack in advance.

The IAMD system promoted by the United States responds to airborne threats such as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft, and instructs the optimal means of attack and interception through a command and control system. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun explained, "If the U.S. military and the Japanese Self-Defense Forces have the same IAMD, cooperation between the units will become easier."

The Japanese government considered introducing an IAMD in 2018, but put it on hold at the time because it lacked the ability to counterattack.

However, as North Korea and China's missiles hit Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) one after another this year, voices within Japan that it must take countermeasures have grown as a sense of crisis rises.

In response to this, the Japanese government plans to solidify its policy to revise the three major security documents at a cabinet meeting this month, with the intention of specifying the possession of counterattack capabilities that can attack enemy missile launch sites.