The United States and Japan will soon create a body for cooperative military operations at a U.S. Air Force base near Tokyo, a key step toward building a proposed missile defense system, according to a senior U.S. military official.
The U.S. Forces Japan will set up a cooperative center for joint operations with Japan's Self-Defense Forces at the Yokoda Air Force base, the official said in a recent meeting with South Korean reporters in Tokyo, asking to remain anonymous because of the sensitive nature of the information. He declined to elaborate on the precise timetable.
Since North Korea fired a missile over Japan in 1998, Washington and Tokyo have been stepping up efforts to develop a missile defense shield in Northeast Asia, a move that is of particular concern to China and North Korea.
Japan has already earmarked US$1.2 billion for missile defense research this year and allowed exports of weapons parts to the U.S. as part of their joint project.
North Korea's missile tests in July sparked concern about Japan using the pretext of self-defense to build up its military in the high-stakes region.
The U.S. official expressed hope that the envisaged body will contribute to maximizing military cooperation and interoperability between the U.S. Air Force and Japan's Air Force, noting that it will become the kernel of the cooperative system related to a missile defense shield.
He also said that the U.S. Air Force in Japan is able to launch attacks on missile bases in North Korea, if necessary, as well as intercept oncoming North Korean missiles.
Seoul, Sept. 4 (Yonhap News)
U.S., Japan to create military cooperation center: U.S. military source |
