The cost to build two Aegis-equipped ships as replacements to the abandoned plan for the ground-based interceptor system known as Aegis Ashore is estimated to be in the range of 500 billion yen, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The figure, shown in an interim report of a private sector study commissioned by the Defense Ministry, is not significantly different from the cost of another offshore replacement proposal also under consideration. The government plans to coordinate around the Aegis ship option as it is viewed as allowing more operational flexibility.
Prior to the policy decision set to be made by the end of the year, the ministry commissioned two private companies to study the technical feasibility of two replacement proposals: Aegis ships and offshore floating facilities resembling offshore oil drilling platforms.
According to the interim report, the new Aegis ships using radar and missile launchers of the Aegis Ashore, are estimated to cost more than 250 billion yen each if equipped with defensive capabilities against attacks by other ships, submarines and fighter jets.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's most advanced Aegis ship, the Maya, commissioned in March this year, cost 168 billion yen. For the new Aegis ships, the Aegis Ashore radar and missile launchers need to be readjusted for offshore use, bringing the cost above the Maya's. The cost of installing Aegis Ashore was estimated at about 400 billion yen, so the replacement plan will cost more.
The costs of installing offshore floating facilities varied between two companies, but the estimates were roughly about the same as building Aegis ships. A Defense Ministry official said, "There is no cost advantage over Aegis ships," because floating facilities require constant operation of equipment to maintain their position in the ocean.
The ministry will present its interim report at a joint meeting to be held this week involving groups such as the Liberal Democratic Party's National Defense Division. While clearly indicating the construction and other initial costs, the ministry does not plan to present the total cost for maintenance and repair for the operation period of about 30 years, as more details are needed to estimate such figures.
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