Defense World:
The Japanese government is likely to include an approximate $9 billion (¥1 trillion) in its third supplementary budget for the fiscal 2016 as part of its investment of its missile defense system in response to North Korean ballistic missile launches.
The government intends to compile a total supplementary budget of around ¥1 trillion, excluding economic stimulus measures, Japan News quoted unnamed government sources as saying Sunday.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to instruct Finance Minister Taro Aso soon to start compiling the budget. The government will likely approve the supplementary budget at a Cabinet meeting in mid-December last year, and submit it to an ordinary Diet session to be convened next year.
The Self-Defense Forces have a two-tier anti-missile system. Any missiles that make it through the Aegis-equipped destroyers and their S-M3s are met with the ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptors.
The government also will earmark about ¥7 billion ($6 million) to add the missile defense function to the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis-equipped vessels….
