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May 22nd
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Page 1 of 3 Missile defense in JapanBulletin of Atomic Scientists January 2009 I Link to the article Article Highlights
Japanese security policy is at a crossroads, shifting from a traditional pacifist security policy to a more assertive security policy. As part of this shift, Tokyo is steadily moving toward the deployment of a more robust missile defense system, which the Japanese government doesn't think contradicts the country's "exclusively defensive defense" policy anyway. And while the debate about U.S. missile defense installations in Eastern Europe remains contentious, in East Asia, political debate about missile defense installations in Japan seems to be fading away. Under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, U.S.-Japanese security ties were enhanced post-9/11. His friendship with President George W. Bush also augmented the two countries' bond. As such, it was under Koizumi that Japan officially decided to deploy missile defense in collaboration with the United States. In fact, Koizumi made missile defense a cornerstone of the country's security policy. He wasn't alone in this thinking; many Japanese government officials perceive missile defense as a more realistic option in responding to regional threats such as North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. In addition, Japan's 2004 National Defense Guidelines, for the first time, stated concerns over China's military modernization. History of missile defense in Japan U.S.-Japanese cooperation on missile defense dates back to the 1980s and the Reagan administration's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). At that time, Japan's participation in SDI was merely symbolic of U.S.-Japanese security cooperation and helpful to mitigate economic and trade disputes with Washington. This changed in August 1998 when North Korea tested its Taepodong-1 ballistic missile. Even for the Japanese people, who are generally considered pacifists post-World War II, the Taepodong-1 flying over their heads was an alarming wake-up call. Immediately afterward, Tokyo joined Washington in cooperative research and development of a ballistic missile defense system. On the basis of seemingly positive results of missile defense tests and the U.S. decision to deploy an initial national missile defense capability in December 2002, the Japanese government determined that ballistic missile defense had high technological feasibility. In addition, the revelation that North Korea had continued its work on nuclear weapons development and Pyongyang's subsequent withdrawal from the NPT in 2003 convinced Tokyo to officially acquire a ballistic missile defense capability. Thus, on December 19, 2003, it issued the cabinet decision "On Introduction of Ballistic Missile Defense System and Other Measure." Ever since, establishing a robust missile defense system has been a top national security priority. To implement its new agenda, Tokyo altered its National Defense Program Guidelines in 2005 to indicate that the country's Three Principles on Arms Export and related provisions could be modified as necessary for the deployment of ballistic missile defense. The "Three Principles," a hallmark of Japan's pacifism policy, long barred Tokyo from jointly developing and producing weapons or transferring weapon parts to foreign countries, including the United States. Tokyo's surprisingly determined and quick adoption of these decisions in order to be ready for the actual deployment of ballistic missile defense seem to be influenced by North Korea's actions. In particular, since North Korea's July 2006 missile launches, which ended its 1999 missile test moratorium, and Pyongyang's October 2006 nuclear test, Tokyo has accelerated its missile defense deployment. |
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