KAUAI ISLAND, Hawaii -- Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya visited on Friday a U.S. Defense Department facility on Kauai island, Hawaii, used to test the effectiveness of the Aegis Ashore land-based missile interception system.
Iwaya met with senior U.S. Missile Defense Agency officials and received an explanation of the missile system's functionality.
Aegis Ashore possesses missile defense capabilities equivalent to those of an Aegis-equipped destroyer.
The government plans to deploy the system to Ground Self-Defense Force training sites in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures. The GSDF plans to start operating the system around fiscal 2025. Implementation of the system will strengthen Japan's defenses against ballistic missiles, as the new units will cover all of Japan in tandem with the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis-equipped destoyers.
"I am convinced that introducing Aegis Ashore will strengthen our defense capabilities against a missile attack. We will steadily proceed with introduction of the system," Iwaya said to the press after visiting the facility.
Ahead of the deployment, Tokyo aims to complete an environmental impact assessment around the prospective host sites by the end of this fiscal year.
However, a number of residents who live near the sites have voiced concerns over the possibility that electromagnetic waves from the defense system will negatively affect their health, among other concerns.
"Our U.S. counterparts told me they will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of nearby residents. I have heard that no adverse health effects have been caused thus far," Iwaya said.
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