U.S. Wants Radar System in Japan

The idea is to protect the U.S. from long-range missiles.

U.S. officials have sent out signals that Washington wants to set up an early-warning radar system in Japan to detect intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) aimed at the United States, government sources said.

The deployment of the radar system would be in line with plans to establish a U.S.-made missile defense system in Japan, the sources said.

But accepting such a radar system could overstep the boundaries of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. The treaty states that Japan can house military-related facilities of the United States only for "the defense of Japan and maintenance of peace and stability in the Far East."

The planned missile defense system is designed to protect Japan. But the radar system would in effect be solely for the defense of the United States.

The United States has already asked Britain and Denmark to house similar early-warning radar systems.

Government sources said the United States has inquired about the possibility of deploying the Ground-Based Radar (GBR) system capable of not only detecting and tracing ICBMs heading for the United States, but also guiding intercepting missiles.

Defense Agency officials will ask the United States to provide more details about the capabilities of the GBR system before considering the merits of its deployment and whether it would be compatible with a radar system that Japan is already planning, sources said.

Under current plans, Japan will deploy an Aegis destroyer-based Standard Missile 3 (SM3) system and a surface-to-air Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC3) system from fiscal 2007.

Japanese plans also call for improvements in the communications network to better track incoming ballistic missiles.

Six ground-based FPS-3 radar systems will be upgraded and four units of the Japanese warning and control radar system will be deployed from fiscal 2008.

Japan's planned radar system would double the existing detection distance for incoming missiles.

Japan's missile defense system is designed mainly for medium-range ballistic missiles, like North Korea's Nodong. The short detection distance of Japan's current radar system means it would be unable to detect launches of ICBMs from deep within any continental interior.

The U.S. Navy will deploy an Aegis-equipped destroyer with an SM3 system to the Sea of Japan from as early as September.

Officials of the two governments have agreed on the need to share information to jointly counter any missile threat. Plans call for radar information obtained in Japan to be passed on to the United States in real time.