Japanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday refuted claims by Russia by saying that the country’s missile system is safe and in no way pose a threat to any of the neighbouring nations including China and Russia.
The ministry added that the missile system is being monitored by specialists and are only for defence reasons.
Aegis Ashore Missile System
The ministry was responding to the concerns voiced by the Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, who said that the United States may, following their deployment in Japan, gain access to the Aegis Ashore missile system. He added that the Russian officials would like to have a dialogue with the Japanese council in search of proof for the same.
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Japan Claims Complete Control Over the Missile System
The Japanese FM spokesman said the missiles are independently controlled by Japan and that has been clearly communicated to Russia during the November meeting. He added that Japan wants to hold dialogue with the Russian officials over the Southern Kuril Islands that have been a point of concern for a long time. The same was confirmed by the Defence Minister of Japan, Itsunori Onodera, who added that the Aegis Ashore system is purely defensive.
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According to the statement by a diplomat, the missile system is solely meant for the purpose of safeguarding the lives of people and protecting properties. He added, that there is no threat to neighbouring countries and Japan claims full control over the missiles and its use.
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The Japanese government had, in December 2017, decided to host two missile systems stationed at Akita and Yamaguchi by 2023. The nation also has plans of purchasing 4 SM-3 Block 2A missiles for the Aegis Ashore systems with a flight range of 1,000 km.
