Japan, U.S. to research stealth vessel technology

[real_dd2]

Japan, U.S. to research stealth vessel technology Reuters Apr 15, 2005, 13:12

TOKYO (Reuters): Japan and the United States, Tokyo's main security ally, have agreed to start joint research on stealth and other advanced technology for military vessels, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The agreement comes at a time when Japan has shown signs of stepping up cooperation with the United States on research and development of military technology.

The joint research project will study advanced materials to build hulls as well as other technology that could be used to improve the capability of naval destroyers, the ministry said.

The research on technology such as the use of stainless steel and carbon fibre reinforced plastics may last around five to six years, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

A note of agreement on the joint research was exchanged between Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura and the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Thomas Schieffer, the Foreign Ministry said.

Japan will not be exporting any weapons to the United States during the joint study, the ministry said, adding that any exports of weapons technology would be conducted under an existing bilateral agreement.

Japan eased a decades-old blanket ban on arms exports in December to open the way for joint production of a new missile shield with the United States, although it said it would still refrain from most other weapons exports.

Joint production would require that Japan export components to the United States, officials have said.

Japan adopted an arms export ban in 1967, when it prohibited sales to communist countries, those at war or those to which the United Nations prohibited arms exports.

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[Wiz]

I'm glad Japan was an alliance of America, and Japan restricts its cooperation with mostly America, which other countries are thirsty about. Long ago, Japan hinted by the Phased Array Radar of America planned to implement this on their F-2 fighter, Which the US officials were interested in and bought the technology from them. Japan has some great skills that America could learn from and enhance the American military industry.