Silo thinking Japan eyes hypersonic missiles

Japan is considering the deployment of hypersonic missiles by 2030 to boost its defences against military threats from China and North Korea.

Yesterday, South Korea scrambled 80 stealth fighters after Pyongyang flew 180 sorties off the peninsula, capping a week of growing tensions during which North Korea, angry at joint Us-south Korean exercises, fired at least 23 missiles into the sea.

Japan is set to revise its security strategy at the end of the year, to flesh out counter-strike capabilities including plans for hypersonic missiles.