The Militant - April 23, 2007 -- Tokyo moves to establish missile shield

Vol. 71/No. 16 April 23, 2007

Tokyo moves to establish missile shield

BY PAUL PEDERSON
Working closely with Washington, Tokyo is moving to rapidly bring online a version of the land- and sea-based antiballistic missile shield developed by the U.S. military. The Pentagon is developing the shield to allow the U.S. military to regain first-strike capacity with its formidable nuclear arsenal.

On March 30, a year earlier than scheduled, the Japanese government deployed its first batteries of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles at an airbase north of Tokyo. Washington already has about 20 batteries installed on its base in Okinawa.

A week earlier the Japanese cabinet passed “emergency response” guidelines allowing the country’s defense minister to order incoming ballistic missiles to be shot down without prior approval from the prime minister. “Although it may not be sufficient, it is the first step toward missile defense,” said Japanese defense minister Fumio Kyuma.

The sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptor launcher, which is the second component of the system, is scheduled to be installed by the end of this year on one of Japan’s five U.S.-made Aegis-class destroyers.

The moves are part of Tokyo's rearmament and steady steps by Japanese imperialism to use its military abroad. In 2004 Tokyo sent troops to Iraq as part of the U.S.-led occupation forces in that country. In January, the government established a cabinet-level defense ministry. Both were firsts for Tokyo since its defeat by Washington in World War II.

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