Japan certain to struggle in seeking alternative to Aegis Ashore

As Japan has scrapped a plan to deploy the land-based Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense system, the country is expected to face difficulties finding an alternative means of protecting itself from the threat of North Korean missiles.Defense Minister Taro Kono has indicated Japan will defend itself from the missile threat with the existing Aegis-equipped destroyers of the Maritime Self-Defense Force for the time being.But making them focus on missile defense would mean they cannot be used for defense elsewhere, including the Nansei Islands chain covering Okinawa, around where China has r…READ FULL ARTICLE