Posted on 03/07/2006 11:49:26 PM PST by Thinkin' Gal
Japan, US to jointly test missile defence system this week
Tokyo, Mar 07: Japan and the United States will test fire an interceptor of their jointly developed next generation shipborne missile system later this week, a Japanese defence official said today.
The two allies are currently developing a new version of the US sea-based Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), amid growing concern about North Korea and rising tension between Japan and China.
Under the plan, they will launch a conventional SM-3 with a nose cone prototype, from a US aegis destroyer off Hawaii, to shoot down a flying target, the defence agency official said.
"We will check if the nose cone, which protects sensors and other devices, comes off in mid-air properly," the official said without disclosing further details including a specific date for the test.
According to local news reports, the test will be a final check of the system on the experimental level after six years of joint research, as the two countries aim to produce the system by March 2016.
In December, the Japanese government officially approved a plan to develop the missile defence system with the United States.
Tokyo has been in a hurry to build such a system with Washington since North Korea stunned the world in 1998 by firing a missile over the Japanese mainland into the pacific.
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi approved a USD 26 million budget in the financial year for development costs as requested by the country's defence agency.
Bureau Report
Am I the only one that thinks that this resurgence in cooperation, and sharing tech with foreign countries will come back to bite us. We've armed regimes that became hostile to us later. We've supported elections, that have led to diasaster. Perhaps, we need a return to a more isolationist policy.
Not yet. I'm not suggesting that it will, I'm just suggesting prudence.
Good food for thought.
I personally admire traditional Japanese values.
I think them a darned-sight more likely to honor their alliance with us if/when SHTF than some countries the current administration seems to be coddling and singing Kumbaya with.
Well unless the Muslim brotherhood gains power--too bad its only a matter of time-- Egypt is not a direct threat. And Israel is the size of New Jersey, and is not a sizable threat, nor does it have any motivation to attack US.
Add Bush's historic trip to India and I think you have a strong working alliance against China and Lil'Kim. The Chinese are still trying to cause trouble with their propaganda campaign against Japan and also have their sights set on oil reserves in disputed waters.
I trust israel, I just dont see the sense of giving them weapons to defend them selves, and then arming a potential enemy.
My opinion: This is good news. Japan has been undergoing some rapid change as of late. Their economy is picking up (at last), they're making great strides in high-tech fields like robotics, space exploration and nanotechnology, they're in a strategically vital region, and the more we can improve our relationship with Japan now, the better off we'll be in the long run.
In short, I think Japan is a train starting to leave the station. We ought to get on board.
I hope they don't hit a bird. the Democrats ill demand we abandon the project.
With a completion date of 2016 I hope we have a backup ssytem of our own, which I think we do.
As far as giving away technology, with the exception of Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, we always give them technology that is one or two generations behind what we have. That makes some of them mad.
One last thought that I intended to add above. We are in greater peril with Democrats having access to our technology and intelligence than we are with other contries.
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