Japan Awards MHI $368 Million Contract for Development of the Glide Phase Interceptor

On November 1, Japan’s Ministry of Protection introduced that it has signed a contract price 56 billion yen ($368 million) with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to develop the Glide Part Interceptor (GPI), a next-generation missile protection system, particularly designed to shoot down hypersonic missiles.

Japan and america are planning to finish growth of the GPI by the 2030s. The mission was first introduced in August 2023 when then-Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and U.S. President Joe Biden held a summit assembly in Camp David outdoors Washington.

In September 2024, the U.S. Missile Protection Company (MDA) and the Japanese Protection Ministry chosen Northrop Grumman over Raytheon because the prime contractor for the mission. The 2 U.S. firms had been vying for the event idea of the GPI.

With Northrop on the U.S. aspect and MHI on the Japanese aspect, the primary GPI firms in each Japan and america have been now determined. 

Northrop’s GPI idea has three options: 1) acceleration by a three-stage rocket motor, 2) destruction of the goal by a kill automobile within the warhead part, and three) launch from an Aegis destroyer’s vertical launch system (VLS), in response to the Protection Ministry. 

“Within the three-stage GPI, the primary stage will carry out the preliminary acceleration, and the second stage will fly in the direction of the enemy. It is going to then be separated and the third stage will head within the closing path,” a protection official in Tokyo defined.

What’s noteworthy is the division of growth roles between the 2 nations. Every nation will likely be answerable for its personal space of ​​experience, primarily based on its expertise with the SM-3 Block 2A, which was additionally collectively developed by the 2 nations.

Concerning the components of the GPI that Japan is answerable for creating, protection officers in Tokyo stated that they may primarily be answerable for the second-stage rocket motor and second-stage steering system, in addition to the steering gear, rocket motor, and seeker window for the entrance a part of the missile referred to as the kill automobile.

In the meantime, america will likely be answerable for the first-stage booster, the third-stage rocket motor, the kill automobile’s outer shell, steerage management system, and seeker. It is going to even be answerable for the general system integration.

For the first-stage booster, the present U.S.-made Mk 72 utilized in interceptor missiles such because the SM-3 Block 2A will likely be adopted.

Within the case of the SM-3 Block 2A, its kill automobile crashes into the goal outdoors the ambiance.

In distinction, the GPI is supplied with a steering system within the type of wings as a result of the goal, a hypersonic glide automobile (HGV), is quick and has a decrease gliding altitude than a ballistic missile. The GPI wants to have the ability to management its maneuver and glide by way of the ambiance.

Hypersonic weapons, which North Korea, China, and Russia are creating and deploying, fly at greater than 5 occasions the pace of sound (Mach 5) on irregular trajectories at low altitudes, making them harder to detect and intercept than standard ballistic missiles.

The Japanese authorities stated the GPI goals to enhance Japan’s built-in air and missile protection capabilities, and the deterrent and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, amidst an more and more difficult regional safety atmosphere. Between repeated launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea and the improved army cooperation between Russia and China in addition to cooperation between Russia and North Korea, Japanese officers have described the safety atmosphere as “probably the most extreme for the reason that finish of World Warfare II.”

The GPI will be capable to take care of hypersonic missiles, which can pose a serious risk to Japan within the close to future, and will be stated to be a brand new defend expertise that might turn out to be a key to Japan’s protection.

The GPI is deliberate to be put in on the Japan Maritime Self-Protection Power’s Aegis destroyers and two Aegis system-equipped vessels (ASEVs). The JMSDF is anticipated to take supply of the primary ASEV throughout fiscal 12 months 2027, with the second within the following fiscal 12 months.