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The United States and Japan have officially signed an agreement to co-develop a hypersonic missile defense capability. This system is designed to neutralize hypersonic threats during the glide phase of their flight. 

Announced by the Missile Defense Agency and Japan’s Defense Ministry, the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) aims for initial deployment in the mid-2030s and will be incorporated into the US Navy’s Aegis ballistic missile defense-equipped destroyers. Despite shooting for deployment in the mid-2030s, the Department of Defense hopes to beat expectations by possibly deploying the system between 2029 and 2032.

According to the US government, GPI development is needed due to the rapid improvements in hypersonic weapon technology, which threaten Japan and the United States. 

The project is being led by the US Missile Defense Agency, which oversees the overall development, while Japan will focus on the rocket motors and propulsion components. This collaboration operates under a US-Japan bilateral Memorandum of Understanding for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation projects, strengthening a long history of defense cooperation between the two nations.