US, Japan to ink $2 billion missile defense deal
David Altwegg, operations director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, said Washington and Tokyo are about to sign a $2 billion co-development pact for an advanced sea-based missile defence system based on the Standard missile.
Both countries will develop, test and produce an enhanced version of the Standard Missile-3 interceptor, or SM-3, to be ready by 2014.
The planned new SM-3 Block 2, with a 21-inch diameter, would add a capability to shoot down incoming warheads in their downward flight path before reentering the Earth's atmosphere.
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