Replies to post #6623 on Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Japan Now Top US BMD partner


First off, I have no idea why the F-16 crashed.
#msg-10179598

North Korea’s test-firing of two short-range missiles has also to be in answer to Japan’s military buildup and as previously posted probably also a sympathy shot for buddy Iran.
#msg-10064988

In addition the US is using Japan to threaten China.

see also:
A number of Bush administration sounding boards, such as neo-conservative Charles Krauthammer, have openly advocated Japan going nuclear as a way to offset the growing influence and power of China. Acquiring nuclear weapons would be relatively easy for Japan, which has plenty of fuel to reprocess, as well as missiles and satellite targeting systems.
#msg-6547899



-Am


Japan Now Top US BMD partner


Illustration only.
by Martin Sieff
UPI Senior News Analyst
Washington (UPI) Mar 15, 2006

Japan has emerged as the most significant international partner of the United States in missle defense, a top U.S. defense official said last week.

In testimony before a House Armed Services Subcommittee March 9, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy Peter Flory said that with its commitment to spend around $1 billion, Japan has become the United States' largest international partner in missile defense.

"The United States and Japan have agreed to work together to develop a more capable sea-based interceptor" that would improve the defense of both nations, he said.

Flory also said the United States was also negotiating a Defense Technical Cooperation Agreement with Russia to promote missile defense cooperation on government and industrial levels, and that U.S. officials and NATO are looking for additional avenues of bilateral cooperation.

Flory said the United States was looking at the possibility of putting long-range, ground-based missile interceptors in Europe, just as it has in Alaska and California.

"Fielding such a capability would improve the defense of the United States against long-range missiles," he said, "especially those launched from the Middle East."

It would extend protection to America's European allies "protecting their populations from attack and reducing the risk of coercion or blackmail," Flory said.

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http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Japan_Now_Top_US_BMD_partner.html