Kongo-class

This is the modern destroyer; see Kongo-class (battleship) Japanese Kongo-class destroyers are manufactured in Japan, but are designed to the licensed plans of the U.S. Burke-class destroyers. They are built to the basic "Flight I" Burke design, but are now undergoing upgrades to their AEGIS battle management system and the supplementary AN/SPY-2 ballistic missile defense radar. This will allow them to use the RIM-161 Standard SM-3 missile, which, from the Sea of Japan, could intercept North Korean offensive missiles.

Japan also has land-based MIM-104 Patriot missiles, developed by the U.S. Army for lower-level defense against ballistic missiles, and is considering the THAAD land-based anti-ballistic missile to form an intermediate tier between the SM-3 and Patriot.