Report: Japan, U.S. to hold first joint missile defense drill exercise in January

SM-3 Missile Launch
Japan and the United States plan to hold their first joint missile defense exercise off the Japanese coast in January as the two allies step up their deterrence of threats from North Korea, a newspaper reported Thursday.

The exercise, which will follow Japan's scheduled launch of an Aegis radar-equipped destroyer carrying interceptor missiles in December, is expected to be conducted in the Sea of Japan using a scenario of a North Korean missile attack, the mass-circulation Yomiuri newspaper said, quoting unidentified government officials.

Tokyo and Washington have been jointly developing an advanced missile defense system. Japan deployed its first advanced U.S.-developed Patriot missiles this year, and plans to introduce the SM-3 intercepters on its destroyers over the next few years, including one later this year.

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