Town of Braintree

Missile shield research to enter development stage

Japan has decided to develop components for interceptor missiles with the U.S. amid pressure from Washington to move forward from joint technological research on a missile defense system to the development stage, government sources said Sunday.
Given that it will require exports of parts to the United States, the government will also have to pursue a politically sensitive review of the three-principle ban on weapons exports, the sources said.

The government will make its final decision at Cabinet and Security Council meetings this fiscal year.

Attention will shift to how the administration of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will justify the need to develop the missile shield at the cost of watering down the export ban and spending huge amounts of money on the prolonged research, including some failures -- and deciding recently to spend an estimated 1 trillion yen to purchase a U.S.-made defense system.
The sources said the decision chiefly stems from strong pressure by the U.S. and a report submitted earlier this month by Koizumi's key advisory Council on Security and Defense Capabilities proposing to review the export ban with an eye on the joint parts development.
The three principles were initially set in 1967 to ban exports of weapons to the communist bloc, nations under U.N. embargo, and countries involved in, or on the verge of being involved in, conflicts.
The government effectively banned exports to all countries in 1976 by saying Japan will also refrain from exports to countries not subject to the three principles. But it decided in 1983 to allow technological transfers to the U.S.

Japan and the U.S. agreed in a so-called two-plus-two meeting of defense and foreign ministers in September 1998 to begin joint technological research on a missile defense system.
The two nations began the research program in 1999 for a system to launch interceptors from Aegis-equipped warships. Japan has spent 15.6 billion yen up to fiscal 2003.

Meanwhile, the government decided last December to purchase from the U.S. and deploy a missile defense system due mainly to threats from North Korea.
The joint research covers four areas -- infrared sensors for identifying and tracking missiles, high-performance shields to protect interceptor warheads from air-attrition heat, second-rocket propulsion units, and kinetic warheads for destroying warheads of incoming ballistic missiles.
The government yet to reveal what has been successful and how funds have been spent in the prolonged joint research activities.

Together with such explanations, it will have to specify which of the four areas will be advanced to the development stage.


By BECAUSE OF NORTH KOREA

China Increases Its Missile Forc



China Increases Its Missile Forces While Opposing U.S. Missile Defense

Revelations that China stole U.S. nuclear warhead secrets highlight two strategic challenges to the United States. First, China is building a range of new ballistic and cruise missiles. New, small nuclear warheads--developed with the help of the stolen information and other U.S. data--will allow China to place multiple warheads on new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or equip short-range missiles with nuclear warheads. China has increased to over 100 the number of missiles pointed at Taiwan, and future theater ballistic and cruise missiles could threaten U.S. forces and allies in Asia. Second, China is seeking to weaken U.S. alliances by waging a loud and menacing campaign to prevent the U.S. deployment of missile defenses in Asia that can guard against the growing North Korean and Chinese missile forces.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has long viewed missile forces as a principal component of its future warfare plans. By developing a variety of nuclear and non-nuclear missiles, the PLA hopes to deter American support for Taiwan and project power in Asia. In the next several years, China can be expected to field a new mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, more accurate medium- and short-range ballistic missiles, a new land-attack cruise missile, and new reconnaissance and intelligence satellites that will support missile operations. Along with plans to make greater use of outer space for military purposes, China is seeking to develop the means to destroy opposing satellites and may also be developing its own missile defenses.

But China's interest in missile defenses has not stopped it from mounting a major diplomatic campaign of threats this year to block the U.S. deployment of missile defenses in Asia. China hopes to create the impression that American defensive missiles, not China's new offensive missiles, threaten peace in Asia. The Clinton Administration is not responding adequately to China's threats and is not sufficiently affirming the need for U.S. missile defenses. It is essential that the United States quickly develop and deploy adequate missile defense systems, lest uneasy U.S. friends and allies turn to their own missile--or even nuclear--options to deter China. The Administration should state clearly that China's new missiles threaten peace in Asia, accelerate the development of effective missile defense systems to protect U.S. forces in Asia from both increasing Chinese and North Korean missile forces, and develop and share theater missile defense systems with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia. The Administration also should suspend civilian space cooperation with China until it enters into agreements with the United States that limit future missile competition.

FOR CHINA, MISSILES ARE A KEY FUTURE WEAPON
The importance of missiles to China's future military posture is emphasized dramatically by recent revelations that China obtained critical information on the U.S. W-88 nuclear warhead that allowed it to develop a similar small nuclear warhead. In China's developing strategy and doctrine, missiles hold a place of priority that is perhaps above that of air or naval forces. PLA missile-related doctrine is evolving from one that stresses the use of nuclear missiles to deter other nuclear powers to one that envisions a range of uses for nuclear and non-nuclear armed missiles at the regional level. 1 Most ballistic missiles are now controlled by a special service within the PLA called the Second Artillery. As China builds new short-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, its Army, Navy, and Air Force likely will be given more missile-based strike missions as well. China's emphasis on missiles is due also to a practical reality: China by itself cannot build a modern air force and navy, but it can build a variety of modern missiles. 2



By While Opposing U.S. Missile Defe

OK

So now that you have reported the news verbatum, what is it you expect as far as replies? What is your question and/or comment?

By concerned

my point exactly

we need more thought,less web link forwarding.it is a losing battle,though.

By THO