|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Japan Considers Missile Defense Purchase
The United States might sell up to $725 million worth of missiles and related equipment to Japan, Inside Defense reported yesterday (see GSN, March 25). “Japan is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key ally of the United States in ensuring the peace and stability of that region,” the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a May 5 statement to Congress. “It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist Japan to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability, which will contribute to an acceptable military balance in the area,” it added. Japan has requested nine Standard Missile 3 systems, upgrades to one Aegis Weapon System and other services and equipment. The new purchases would replace aging and less reliable missiles in the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, the U.S. agency said (John Liang, Inside Defense, May 6). Meanwhile, Japan and the United States have agreed to conduct their first joint missile interceptor flight tests in the second half of 2005, Kyodo News reported (Kyodo News/Japan Today, May 7).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
