Japan Seeks to Join US 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense System

Japan is seeking to join the 'Golden Dome,' the US missile defense system, according to a report in the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to discuss the matter with Donald Trump at a meeting in Washington next Thursday, March 19th.

The aim of the participation is the joint development of interceptor weapons and a satellite network to counter the hypersonic glide vehicles (HGV) being developed by China and Russia. These systems can reach speeds of up to Mach 5 (5,960 km/h).

The 'Golden Dome' is presented as a new generation anti-missile shield, capable of protecting against air attacks, with some of the interception systems to be placed in space, according to US Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

In recent years, Japan has increased its defense spending, which has doubled to 2% of GDP. In December, the Takaichi government approved a record defense budget of 9 trillion yen (€49 billion).