Posted on 10/26/2006 6:40:20 PM PDT by Paul Ross
Japan plans to speed up anti-missile system
Financial Times 10/26/2006 ,
Author: Michiyo Nakamoto
Japan will bring forward its programme for setting up a missile defence system following heightened tensions in the region caused by North Korea's nuclear test, the Japanese defence minister said yesterday.
"Japan does not have the power to defend itself against a missile attack," Fumio Kyuma, the new head of Japan's Defence Agency, said yesterday. "We should try to bring forward the timing (of missile defence deployment)," he said.
Mr Kyuma also said the JDA could be upgraded to a ministry as early as January, highlighting the growing momentum of Japanese public opinion to see the country to take defence into its own hands. "When we are dealing with matters such as national security and international co-operation, it would be more befitting to have the status of a ministry, which would havepolicy-implementing powers," Mr Kyuma said.
North Korea's recent missile and nuclear tests have provided Japan's more hawkish politicians with a sense of urgency in their calls for stronger self-defence measures, particularly against a missile attack. Lance Gatling, a defence and aerospace consultant, said: "The original plan was to build up anti-missile defence gradually but that isn't good enough (for Japan) any more."
Until North Korea conducted its nuclear test earlier this month, the idea of the isolated state launching a nuclear missile or sending ships carrying a nuclear bomb towards Japan seemed implausible.
"But now it's a credible scenario. They are thinking a lot harder about that," said Mr Gatling. "Obviously the Japanese government is very upset about (North Korea's nuclear test) and right now there is nothing the government can do about (a missile) once it's been launched."
The Japanese government had planned to start setting up the missile defence systems from March 2008 but Mr Kyuma indicated this would be brought forward by several months for completion by the end of 2011.
Japan's defence spending, the world's second highest at about Dollars 48bn (Pounds 26bn) a year, is likely to rise as a result.
The anti-missile system programme involves upgrading Japan's Aegis ships' radar systems and missile shooter systems to enable them to use anti-missile -missiles being co-developed with the US. Japan is also developing a huge radar, the FPF-XX, that can track targets at long range and send that information to an anti-missile device. It is purchasing from the US large, fast missiles that can intercept incoming missiles outside the earth's atmosphere.
Pyongyang caused an international crisis in 1998 when it fired an early -version of the Taepodong missile over Japan into the Pacific. The event was a catalyst for Tokyo's decision to develop a missile defence shield in conjunction with Washington.
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Question is...will it be in time to protect them...and us from the international totalitarian whirlwind about to descend...
In line with your Japan thesis as the Germany of the 60's...
OH NORTH KOREA PING LIST get ready for Hanoti Hanozo sword reset LOL!
Good. I'd think that one of the last thing anyone on the mainland over there wants is Japan coming after them again.
ping desu kedo...
Semper Fi
U.S. PROVES to the world that we will fight a war to WIN.
We haven't done that since 1945..
Japan Ping.... :^)
The article is primarily referring to Japan's land-based missile defenses.
Japan already has its own sea-based AEGIS anti-missile ship in between Tokyo and Pyongyang, and the U.S. also has PAC-3 anti-missiles on at least one land-base in Japan.
So Japan has a 2 tiered, limited missile defense system functioning right now, even though it is not all theirs and it is not all land-based.
Of course, NK's more likely missile attack will be against South Korea...
Good stuff. We can even buy hardware from them. Probably good to do that, to keep things competitive and to keep the development schedules aggressive.
Add into that a future come to Jesus moment for ASEAN as they realize they will be stabbed in the back by the PRC and other anti Western fiends. The Strait of Malacca is under threat.
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