RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3)

Early in the XXI century, Japan faced a new threat coming from a neighboring military regime. North Korea under Kim Dzong Un started developing continental ballistic missiles that could reach Home Islands carrying a live warhead. In order to protect from that threat, Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force issued a specification for a system capable of intercepting short and medium range ballistic missiles. Answering this need, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries paired up with Raytheon to deliver Standard Missile 3  Block IIa.