Japan to proceed with joint missile defense shield program with US
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-24 10:59

The Japanese government has decided to proceed with the United States in developing a joint missile defense shield, a top government official said Saturday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said steps would be taken to ensure the decision to pursue the shield, which uses defensive missiles to destroy attacking ones before they reach their targets, does not violate Japan's pacifist constitution.

However, the project calls for Japan to relax its arms export laws to deploy the system _ a major shift from the 1967 policy.

Tokyo and Washington agreed in October on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, which included the deployment of a missile defense system.

Since last year, the U.S. Navy has been patrolling the Sea of Japan, on the lookout for missiles from North Korea. North Korea shocked Tokyo and other nations when it test-fired a missile over northern Japan in 1998.

Analysts say North Korea is developing long-range missiles capable of reaching Alaska, Hawaii or perhaps the U.S. West Coast.

Japan's Defense Agency said earlier this month that the U.S. and Japanese militaries are looking at a site in northeastern Japan to base a radar system for the missile shield.

Easing the restrictions would mainly free up Japan and the United States to jointly develop and produce a system to intercept a missile strike by a foreign power.

Tokyo and Washington have been discussing an estimated US$3 billion (euro2.6 billion) joint defense shield that is expected to be spread over nine years beginning in fiscal 2006. Defense officials have said Japan's share will total US$1 billion (euro830 million) to US$1.2 billion (euro1 billion).