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Japanese satellites to track hypersonic weapons

10th May 2021 - 01:43 GMT | by Koji Miyake in Tokyo

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Japan could cooperate with the US on the latter’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor. (Northrop Grumman)

As China's military fields hypersonic glide vehicles, Japan is seeking to use satellites to detect and track them.

Japan’s MoD budgeted JPY170 million ($1.5 million) for early-stage research into satellite constellations in its FY2021 budget. The future constellation will track hypersonic weapons that are hard for current ballistic missile defence systems to detect.

Multiple Japanese microsatellites in low orbit will monitor targets one after the other to achieve continuous monitoring. Even if one satellite loses functionality, other satellites will be able to step in.

In recent years, the vulnerability of expensive satellites has become an issue. They increase space debris, and some nations are developing attack methods to neutralise them, such as killer satellites, anti-satellite missiles and laser

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Author

Koji Miyake

Koji Miyake is a Tokyo-based writer.

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