The US tries boosting Patriot missile production in Japan due to growing tensions and the need for better defense, and to boost the US military aid to the Ukrainian forces.
The Patriot, made by Lockheed Martin,
is key to the US-Japan defense partnership. As countries in the region improved
their missile tech, the need for Patriot PAC-3 missiles increased. This
put a strain on the US to meet its defense needs and those of its allies, like
Japan.
There is a will from the US to increase its production
for this kind of missiles from 500 missiles produces per year currently, which
is a very low number after the start of many conflicts that made the point of
the big use of this air defense, like Russo-Ukrainian war and the war in Gaza,
with the use of tens of these missiles per week.
Also, there is a new big wave of purchases from
the NATO countries and its allies -Europe alone is willing to sign contract tobuy about 1000 missiles this year.
So with all this the US decides to increase the production at first to 750
missiles per year by 2027.
Significance of the Patriot Missile Defense System
The Patriot missile defense system is a
big deal in the US-Japan alliance. It protects against ballistic missiles in
the Asia-Pacific. This tech is key to keeping the region safe by stopping
aggression and protecting the US and Japan, from the uprising danger of North Korean
missiles technologies and the Russian, Chinese, and North Korean rapprochement.
Japan's Industrial and Technological Limitations
Japan's arms making is top-notch in some areas
but struggled to scale up Patriot missile production. The Patriot missile's
complex tech made it hard to quickly increase production for the US's defense
needs.
For the current state of production in Japan some
Japanese government officials and industry sources said:
“Under a contract from the defense contractor
Lockheed Martin, the Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)
currently produces around 30 PAC-3 missiles annually. MHI could up that figure
to around 60.”
The US faced a big challenge when trying to
boost Patriot missiles production in Japan because of a severe shortage in
storages and production of the seeker of the missiles, which is produced by Boeing.
an industry source in (MHI) said:
"it could take several years before MHI is able to raise output" because
of the shortage.
The US's struggle to boost Patriot missile
production in Japan brings up big worries. East Asia's security scene is
getting more complex. Countries are fighting for power and influence.
This could change the balance of power and
make tensions rise. It's a big deal for the region.
Ukraine is damaged by this failure with the lack of missiles from the biggening of the NATO’s military aids. And apparently
there is no quick solution to this lack of air defenses, which make the Ukrainian
important points very vulnerable to the Russian strikes.
Exploring Diplomatic and Political Solutions
Working together with others can open new ways
to solve the production issue. The U.S. and Japan can share ideas and resources
with other allies in and outside the NATO like the European countries,
Australia, or even the allies in the Middle east like Saoudi Arania or the UAE.
This might mean sharing new technologies, working together on production.
0 Comments