Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to announce Japan’s involvement in the US “Golden Dome” missile defence system during a meeting with President Donald Trump next week.
According to the Yomiuri daily, citing unnamed government sources, Takaichi will discuss the initiative at the planned March 19 meeting in Washington.
The collaboration aims to jointly develop interceptors and a satellite network capable of countering hypersonic glide vehicles reportedly deployed by China and Russia, which can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5.
Last year, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth described Golden Dome as a next-generation shield designed to progressively defend the US against aerial threats from any adversary. The system is expected to include space-based interceptors and sensors.
For Japan, participation would strengthen national self-defence capabilities and fits its recent security policy shift, including plans to acquire “counterstrike” abilities. The government has also increased military spending to two percent of GDP, approving a record 9 trillion yen (USD 56.5 billion) defence budget for the next fiscal year.
