US military officials announced yesterday that a test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence system had been carried out by Japan.
The Aegis system is produced in America by the Lockheed Martin Corp and is funded by a consortium of US allies, including Japan, Australia and South Korea.
Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, director of the U.S. Missile Defence Agency, told Reuters news agency: “We are committed to assisting the government of Japan in upgrading its national missile defence capability against emerging threats.”
As peace talks progress between North and South Korea, weapons tests by a major US ally in the region are highly provocative. They threaten to undermine the practical steps that have emerged from talks between Pyongyang and Seoul to deescalate the long-standing conflict.
Missile defence systems operate under the guise of “defence” when in reality they support a more offensive and belligerent approach. They allow first strike attacks without fear of retaliation and render so called ‘deterrence’ systems obsolete.
CND has long campaigned against ‘Star Wars’ weapons because they ramp up moves to war by stimulating the global arms race. It’s already clear this process of militarisation will not stop with missile defence systems. Last week we reported on Donald Trump’s moves to create new military forces in space. This will not end well unless we confront it.
Please donate to so we can continue reaching thousands of people with the latest anti-nuclear information.