TOKYO, April 5 (UPI) -- The United States reportedly wants either full access to Japan's Self-Defense Forces radar data or to be allowed to build its own radar station in Japan.
Japan and the U.S. will soon begin talks on information-sharing for missile defense.
The Kyodo news service said the access request came in anticipation of the U.S.-sponsored missile defense system scheduled to go into operation in Japan later this year. Japanese officials decided in December to introduce a defense shield using U.S.-made missiles to defend against possible North Korean attacks.
The United States plans to deploy about 10 sea-based missile interceptors by the end of 2005 on its destroyers, each equipped with the Aegis combat system. The destroyers would patrolthe East Asian seas, including waters around Japan.
An intelligence network to track Pyongyang's missile movements and firings is believed needed in light of the threat of North Korean ballistic missiles that could reach North America.
