Japan refused to deploy an American missile defense system

The Japanese government has suspended a plan to deploy Aegis Ashore in the country.

The suspension of the deployment of the system was announced by Minister of Defense Taro Kono.  After that, Japanese officials announced a review of their national security policy.

It was previously reported that Japan could abandon the US missile defense system, in particular, due to the risk of missile boosters falling into residential areas outside the range.  The high deployment costs of Aegis Ashore also play an important role.

It is noted that this decision is not yet final, as negotiations with the Americans are still ongoing.

Japan decided to deploy two American Aegis Ashore systems on its territory in 2017 against the backdrop of missile launches conducted by North Korea.