The Aegis destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is at the forefront of ballistic missile defense against North Korea and other countries. For the first time, a television camera was in the heart of the Aegis ship. Crew of the Ashigara: "Early warning information received, we are in position. Preparations for anti-BM (ballistic missile) combat!" "The target will be hit within the area, we will deal with it." "Commence anti-BM combat, SM3 attack!" "Launch SM3!" The Aegis destroyer "Ashigara" of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. It is one of the eight main Aegis destroyers operating in the waters surrounding Japan. The main mission of the Aegis ship is ballistic missile defense. This Japanese missile defense is to quickly detect ballistic missiles launched from North Korea and other countries and intercept them in cooperation with the US military. In the unlikely event that a missile is missed, the PAC3 missile interception system deployed on land will respond, so it is a two-tiered interception system. "Ashigara" is homeported at Sasebo Base in Nagasaki Prefecture. The crew is about 250 people. This time, our reporting team accompanied the ship on its three-day voyage. It passed through the Osumi Straits south of Kyushu and headed off the coast of Shikoku. From there, it headed north toward Tokyo Bay. Aegis ships are one of the most combat-capable ships among escort ships. Therefore, they have a variety of attack capabilities. The biggest feature of Aegis ships is ballistic missile defense, which launches missiles from here. The missiles are aimed at targets using the octagonal spy radar you can see in the background. In addition, for anti-aircraft and fighter aircraft other than ballistic missiles, a bowl-shaped radar called an illuminator is used to adjust and guide the missiles. Aegis ships can launch missiles such as those called SM3 using a vertical launcher. The number two, Executive Officer Tamura, gave us a tour of the equipment on the Ashigara. Tamura: "There are 96 cells in total." "(Q. Can it fire up to 96 rounds?) That's right." "(Q. Are there any in it now?) Of course, this ship is always prepared for missions, so even if it is ordered to leave port now, it is ready for the mission." "(Q. Does it have live ammunition?) That's right." "(Q. Does it also have SM3 for ballistic missile defense?) That's right." "(Q. Does it also have SM2?) It does." SM3 stands for Standard Missile 3, and can defend against ballistic missiles, and SM2 can intercept fighter planes and missiles launched from fighter planes. Furthermore-- Tamura: "There is a torpedo with a rocket attached to the back for long-distance submarines, and it is launched from this vertical launcher." "(Q. Can I open it a little?) I'm going to show you how it opens specially." It is said that it can also be equipped with missiles (VLA) that can be launched against submarines. This vertical launcher, called VLS, is said to open its doors all at once when actually launched. For now, it is possible to carry three types of missiles. This huge cylindrical thing is a high-speed machine gun called Phalanx. It can automatically track and attack nearby enemies at about 4,500 rounds per minute. It can also be switched manually to shoot down targets on the water. This is a decoy rocket called chaff, which guides enemy attacks. It's like a flare on a fighter jet. There are 12 of these, and one on the other side, so it can fire 24. Also - the large pipe on the deck is a torpedo tube, which is said to be compatible with submarines. It rotates and fires toward the sea. It can fire a total of six torpedoes, three on the port side and three on the starboard side. It can also be equipped with up to eight SSMs, ship-to-ship missiles. These are missiles that attack distant ships. And then--Tamura: "This is the ship's main gun, a 62-caliber 5-inch cannon. 5 inches is the diameter of the round bullet at the tip of the cannon. The barrel of the cannon is 62 times as long as 5 inches. It's 7 meters long, about 7 meters long." This is an unmanned cannon, and it can be fired while being operated from another location. Tamura: "The easiest to understand is that it can fire at ships floating in the sea, just like this ship. It can also shoot down missiles flying in the air and aircraft that pose a threat to us." (Q. Can it fire at ground targets?) It is called ground-to-ground firing, but it can also be fired at land." This cannon is said to be used for training firing in Japanese waters. Tamura: "Of course, we have to be careful about the safety of other ships passing by, so we make sure to let them know that this is a dangerous area and then conduct firing training." "(Q: Can it rotate quite a lot?) There are some limitations, but it can rotate quite far back." And then, we went inside the Aegis ship. For the first time, a camera entered the heart of the front line of ballistic missile defense. Tamura: "This is the CIC, the Combat Information Center, a section called the Combat Information Center." "(Q: Isn't this a pretty sturdy door?) It is protected by a sturdy hatch to prevent water and fire from entering." "(Q: It's quite spacious.) About 30 to 40 people can fit in here, and depending on the situation, more people can fit in here." "(Q: There are a lot of monitors, what is their role?) These displays can show various types of information, such as tactical information and information about the sea area we are operating in, and we make decisions based on that and convey orders for necessary measures." It is said that most of the lights inside the CIC have been changed to blue lights to make the displays easier to see. I was able to witness a part of the actual training. First, the anti-ballistic missile. Ashigara crew: "Early warning information received. We are taking up positions. Prepare for anti-BM (ballistic missile) combat!" When this alarm sounds, all crew members on the ship must take their designated positions. Ashigara crew: "When the alarm sounds, we will jump up and run to the bridge to take up our lookout positions. We will also report on the surrounding situation and, since there are of course other ships moving around, whether fishing boats are being affected." Ashigara crew: "As for the target, the shells will land within the area, we will deal with it." "Anti-BM combat, SM3 attack begins." "Fire SM3!" "5, 4, 3, 2, 1 mark intercept. Target kill." "Target dealt with, stop attacking." "Stop attacking." "Stop SM3 attack." And in anti-aircraft combat-- Ashigara crew: "It appears our ship has been captured." This is inside the CIC. There is a very tense atmosphere as they are conducting anti-aircraft training. The area is highly confidential as displays cannot be shown. The screen shows a map and a lot of numbers. Most of the writing is in English. Perhaps because they are working with the US military. Most of the communication is in English. Ashigara crew: "Enemy aircraft turn 60 degrees to the right" "4 targets, launch SM2" We don't know the details of the training, but it is possible that it is assumed that missiles were fired from enemy fighter planes. Ashigara crew: "3 planes remaining... kill, kill, kill, shoot down all targets" And anti-submarine training - Ashigara crew: "Anti-submarine combat VLA attack begins" "VLA launch begins" "1 minute before VLA launch" "VLA ready" "Fire!" It was only a part of the training, but inside the CIC, the image was hardly visible and the sound could not be heard. Aegis ship Ashigara, Captain Sakai: "We are training every day in preparation for the real thing, and I believe that we will not be able to do more than we have trained when the time comes. We are doing it with a sense of urgency from the training." The security environment surrounding Japan is becoming even more severe. Captain Sakai of the Ashigara says that he is always working to improve the quality of his training by anticipating all possible situations. Captain Sakai of the Aegis destroyer Ashigara: "There are threats from the air and from underwater. We are working to be able to deal with a variety of threats, so the reality is that we conduct training according to our level of proficiency and need." The interview was filmed on October 28th. During this interview, North Korea launched a ballistic missile. Captain Sakai of the Aegis destroyer Ashigara: "I believe that North Korea's missile technology is becoming more sophisticated." China is also believed to have dropped a ballistic missile into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in early August. Captain Sakai of the Aegis ship Ashigara: "China has landed their shells within the navigation warning area that they had indicated in advance, demonstrating that they have the ability to land their shells with that level of precision. In order to be prepared for such threats, it is important to be able to detect signs, quickly track by detection method, and build a system that can intercept if necessary." The Aegis ship is at the forefront of Japan's ballistic missile defense. It is said that its role and responsibility are very large. Captain Sakai of the Aegis ship Ashigara: "I feel that the challenges we are facing are very large and the hurdles are high, but I intend to overcome them firmly and lead my crew with a sense of fulfillment." [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp