Following the news that North Korea successfully tested submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its eastern coast;

Venkatesh Kandlikar, Defense Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The growing frequency of North Korean missile test-firings will be a cause of concern for Japan, pushing it to speed up its procurement programs. For example, these tests will hasten the development of additional Japanese naval vessels equipped with the Aegis missile interceptors, making it the largest number of such vessels outside the US Navy.

“North Korea has added another strategic weapon to its missile arsenal with the latest test launch of its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). The country’s constant development and test launch of long-range mobile land attack capabilities and the recent demonstration of SLBM launch from a submarine highlights the increasing complexity of the military environment.

“The development of trajectory-shifting missiles, cruise missiles with low-altitude flight, and hypersonic missiles by North Korea will form a compelling argument for the Japanese Government to increase its defense budget and invest significantly more in advanced missile systems to counter regional threats.”