October 17, 2005 :: Asahi Shimbun :: News
Japan may allow the United States to deploy the new FBX mobile radar on its territory, according to Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun. The deployment of such radar on Japanese territory for the potential use of defending against a missile attack on the United States is controversial because some see it as violating the Japanese constitution and the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.
The deployment is important, however, for the detection and tracking capabilities of the more advanced and longer-range X-band radar. Such detection would be important to a missile attack launched from within the Eurasian continent against either Japan or the United States. From Asahi Shimbun:
The primary candidate site for the radar system is the Air Self-Defense Force’s Shariki air station in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture, Japanese government sources said.
They said the radar system being considered is a U.S-developed X-band radar that is more advanced than the system Japan is scheduled to install in fiscal 2008 to guard against medium-range ballistic missiles.
The X-band radar has a longer detection range, enabling it to respond to ballistic missiles launched from deep within a continent, and is also capable of differentiating missile shapes.
The United States successfully completed an experiment in September in which the X-band radar distinguished between decoy and ballistic missiles.
Plans call for the deployment of one X-band radar system in the current fiscal year.
In talks in the summer of 2004 concerning the realignment of U.S. military forces in Japan, American officials formally proposed the deployment of the X-band radar in Japan to protect the United States from ballistic missile attacks. …
The Shariki air station is being considered a candidate site because it is located in an area capable of detecting missiles North Korea may launch at the United States.
Although the United States would likely share in the usage of Shariki air station, no specific date has been set for deployment of the radar system.
Japan and the United States have already reached an agreement in principle to move the ASDF’s Air Defense Command from Tokyo’s Fuchu to the U.S. military’s Yokota Air Base as part of plans to implement a joint missile defense system.
The plans call for establishing a joint tactical center at Yokota where the Air Defense Command could share information with the 5th Air Force of the United States based at Yokota.
The alleged capabilities of the FBX-T to track missiles launched from “deep within” the continent could plausibly be integrated into a system of interceptors capable of defending against Chinese missiles. (Article)
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