[dirtyid]

Japan as AEGIS + SM3 with dedicated ballistic missile defense ships in the plan. Issue is BMD are really not well tested, intercept tests are very choreographed events that is not... reflective of reality, and still experiences occasional failures. I think JP conducts there tests with USN around Hawaii, away from prying eyes. Apart from just being sensitive tech where you don't want capabilities revealed (which it will if intercepting in sea of Japan), the political optics of FAILING to intercept is catastrophic. IMO worse than a F35 getting shot down. Imagine interceptor (missile) misses / fails to self destruct and lands in SKR (if lucky), or if unlucky, in nuclear states like PRC, RU, NKR where an incoming missile defense interceptor is not distinguishable from an actual missile. Basically, current BMD politics is better to pretend/hope you're capable (via controlled demostrations) than fail once while doing it live and remove all doubt.