Japan's Ministry of Defense is reportedly considering the use of unmanned aircraft to perform detection and early warning of hypersonic missiles. The idea was revealed by the Ministry on August 07, points out the Japanese portal. Sankeibiz.
The great advantage of hypersonic missiles is their very high speed, being able to exceed Mach 5, which delays their detection and makes their interception difficult by conventional means. Russia already employs the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, as well as the HGV (Hypersonic Glide Vehicle) Avangard, which can be launched from ballistic missiles. China, Japan's neighbor, unveiled at a military parade the DF-17 medium-range ballistic missile, which can also carry HGVs like the Avangard.
The Japanese Defense portfolio would be considering the creation of a network of unmanned aircraft to detect in advance a hypersonic weapon. The drones would be equipped with infrared sensors and would operate in a fraction of the airspace closer to the enemy, with the data obtained being ed on to a station on the ground. Early detection of the missile, subsequent interception, or possible evacuation of the target area can be successful.
The advantage of using drones, a piece of equipment that is increasingly present in armed forces around the world, lies in its cost and the fact that it does not cost a life in the event of a loss in combat.
See more: First RQ-4B reconnaissance drone flies to Japan.
According to the portal, the verification of the technology was completed in the first year of the Reiwa Era, which began in May 2019. The Ministry would also be carrying out research for early detection systems from vessels, as well as the creation of a constellation of small satellites operating in low Earth orbit, acting as countermeasures for hypersonic missiles, thus creating a multi-layered defense network.
