Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Japan to expand space program for defense use

Tokyo, June 13 (EFE).- Japan Tuesday approved its first space security policy to better expand the sector for defense and security use.

The so-called Japan Space Security Initiative, drawn up based on the National Security Strategy, was approved during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The government decided to join international initiatives of like-minded countries and open the sector to a greater role for the private sector involved in space technology development.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK said the objectives of the policy include expanding the use of space for national security, ensuring the safe and sustainable use of the sector, and promoting the development of the space industry,

Amid growing space-related threats, Japan plans to join the US-led Combined Space Operations Center (CspOC) of Britain, Australia and Canada.

The facility monitors attempts to intercept or attack military and commercial satellites.

The policy will guide Japan over the next 10 years to better utilize the space sector for its defense purposes in the face of rising military use of outer space by China and Russia.

“For the sake of national security, we will dramatically scale up the use of space systems and ensure the safe and stable utilization of the domain,” said Kishida.

Japan will use combined small satellites to strengthen its information gathering systems in space to improve its counter-attack or preemptive strike capabilities.

The government vowed to strengthen collaboration between the defense ministry and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to support private firms involved in the development of space technology.

The government expressed its fears about the “rapid expansion of threats” from some countries like China, Kyodo news agency said. EFE

mra/bks-ssk

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