Friday, October 24, 2014

U.S. AN/TPY-2 missile defense radars in Japan - China criticizes

AN/TPY-2 Radar
Raytheon begins building 12th AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar
The U.S. is taking another positive step toward meeting the growing demand for systems that can help protect against the increasing danger posed by ballistic missiles.
Raytheon has started building the 12th AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar for the Missile Defense Agency after being awarded a $172.7 million contract, which was previously announced by the Department of Defense on Dec. 17, 2013.
An integral element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), AN/TPY-2 is a mobile X-band radar that helps defend against the more than 6,300 ballistic missiles that, according to MDA estimates, are not controlled by the U.S., NATO, China or Russia.
Ballistic Missile Defense: Location of Second X-band Radar to Japan Announced (February 24, 2013) | mostlymissiledefense
The location of the second U.S X-band missile defense radar to be deployed to Japan has been announced.[1]  The TPY-2 radar will be deployed in central Japan at the Kyogamisaki military base near the small city of Kyotango [U.S. to deploy mobile radar in Kyoto Prefecture to detect missile launches | StratRisks].  The location was described as being selected because it was near the trajectories North Korean missiles fired towards Guam or Hawaii would take.  (This appears to be true for Guam, but not particularly for Hawaii.)  The first TPY-2 to Japan was deployed at the Shariki base in Northern Japan in September 2006, and was the first TPY-2 to be deployed to a foreign country.

Kyoto Governor Keiji Yamada and Kyotango Mayor Yasushi Nakayama agreed at a meeting on Aug. 1 to accept the facility, which was part of an agreement reached between the Japanese and U.S. governments to deploy the mobile X-band Radar. Despite their reservations, Yamada and Nakayama said they decided to accept the facility for the greater good of the nation.

The radar will transmit data on ballistic missile launches to warships equipped with Aegis air defense systems and ground-based interceptor missile sites. The mobile X-band Radar system weighs about 34 tons and is about 13 meters in length. It can distinguish differing types of warheads flying more than 1,000 kilometers away.
U.S. to install second X-band radar | The Japan Times
An advanced U.S. military radar will be installed at an Air Self-Defense Force base in Kyoto Prefecture near the Sea of Japan coast next year, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Thursday. It will be the second such installation in Japan.
With the capability to precisely track the trajectory of ballistic missiles, the so-called X-band radar is considered important in defending against the North Korean missile threat.

The second X-band radar system will be set up on the ASDF Kyogamisaki subbase in the city of Kyotango, after a similar system was set up on the ASDF Shariki subbase in the city of Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture.
 China criticizes U.S. missile defense radar in Japan | Reuters
Japan's defense ministry has said an X-Band radar system was delivered on Tuesday to the U.S. military's communication facility in Kyoto in the western part of the country. It is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of the year.
"Neighboring countries pushing forward the deployment of anti-missile systems in the Asia-Pacific and seeking unilateral security is not beneficial to strategic stability and mutual trust in the region," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing.
"It is not beneficial to peace and stability in Northeast Asia."
Countries should not use "excuses to harm the security interests of other countries," Hua added, describing the situation as "deeply concerning".
US should be prepared to meet North Korean KN08 ICBM | Defense Update:
Addressing specific questions about the North Korean capability to integrate an inter-continental missile, nuclear warhead and rough mobile launcher into a weapon system that could put the Continental US at risk, General Scaparrotti confirmed that PyongYang hasn’t done that yet but warned the US should be prepared to meet this threat. “They claim they have an intercontinental ballistic missile that’s capable [to do that]. “I believe have the capability to have miniaturized a device at this point” Scaparrotti but added “I don’t believe that they have [done it so far]“. He said they also have a launcher that will carry [the missile], therefore “they have the technology to potentially actually deliver what they say they have.” Scaparrotti admitted such a device has not been tested yet, but cautioned: “I don’t think as a commander we can afford the luxury of believing perhaps they haven’t gotten there.” Gen. Scaparrotti added.

previously:

spendergast: Raytheon Builds Spare Critical Components for AN/TPY-2 BMD Radar
spendergast: Missile Defense Radars are key components of BMD
spendergast: USS John Paul Jones conducts Aegis BL9.C1 BMD test

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