Japan adds 2 ships to its fleet of Aegis-equipped destroyers

Japan on Monday raised the number of Aegis-equipped destroyers in its fleet to eight from the current six, after the Maritime Self-Defense Force said two new ships had successfully intercepted ballistic missiles in exercises. The tests came with North Korea test-firing ballistic missiles at an unprecedented pace, and with China ramping up its missile capabilities. Raising the total number of destroyers equipped with the Aegis missile interceptor system is in line with the country’s 2013 National Defense Program Guidelines. The two new Aegis destroyers that took part in the successful tests wer...