Joint research between Japan and the US is currently underway on technologies aimed at intercepting hypersonic glide ballistic missiles at an altitude that the current anti-missile systems are not able to operate, Japanese news agency Nikkei reported on Sunday.

Nikkei reported that the Japanese Defense Ministry planned to begin developing engines for long-range missiles in 2023. The new engines, which will be developed through a joint research project with the US, will be able to alter their trajectories in order to adjust to the changes in the enemy's hypersonic missiles. 

According to the publication, the potential missiles might be used on Japan's new destroyers fitted with the Aegis combat information and control system. The government of Japan reportedly intended to commission one of these ships by the spring of 2027 and another by the spring of 2028, according to media reports from November.

In recent years, as China and Russia have made advancements, the US and its allies have increased their spending on the development of hypersonic weapons.

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