Japan wants missile defense 'as soon as possible': defense chief

AFP | July 7 2006

Japan wants to develop a joint missile defense system with the United States as quickly as possible following North Korea's missile tests, the Japanese defense chief said.

"Along with the establishment of a surveillance radar network, we want to work with the United States to build an interception mechanism as soon as possible," Defense Agency chief Fukushiro Nukaga told parliament, as quoted by Kyodo News.

North Korea fired seven missiles on Wednesday, including a long-range Taepodong-2. All of them fell into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) off the coasts of Russia and North Korea.

Japan is particularly sensitive to missile tests by North Korea, which in 1998 fired a Taepodong-1 missile over Japan into the Pacific, prompting Tokyo and Washington to step up cooperation to build missile defenses.

Japan and the United States signed an agreement in late June to allow them to jointly develop an advanced capability missile interceptor for the ballistic missile defense system.

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