Japan confirms scrapping US missile defence system
Japan has scrapped the deployment of a multibillion-dollar US anti-missile system, the government confirmed yesterday, days after saying the programme had been suspended. Interceptors for the Aegis Ashore system were to be placed in two regions under the costly and controversial programme. But the government reversed course under pressure from local residents concerned about the risks posed by a missile defence system in their backyard. The Aegis Ashore system, the purchase of which was approved in 2017, was estimated to cost Japan $4.2 billion over three decades. The deal to buy the system was seen both as part of attempts by Tokyo to bolster defensive capabilities after North Korean missile launches, but also as a way to foster closer ties with Washington.
Source: Reuters
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