Japan to use unmanned spy planes in 2007

[Davey]

Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 12:24 EST

LONDON — Defense Agency Director General Fukushiro Nukaga told reporters on Wednesday in London that Japan will soon start selecting unmanned spy planes that it intends to introduce in fiscal 2007.

Nukaga said he expects the planes to enable his agency to gather ballistic missile launch information immediately and monitor hostile vessels and planes if remote islands are attacked. Japan is now developing spy planes, but the agency will first import them from other countries, including the United States, according to its sources.

 

[MajideSaiaku]

Good to hear Japan isnt relying purely on American intelligence, without going into a huge rant, its not a massive secret US intelligence isnt always reliable.

 

[cyberryo]

With economic growth and growing assertiveness in North East Asia, this is not surprising. I just hope that it doesn't grow into a sharp arms escalation.
Ken

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Sooooooo.......

if you stay at one of those love hotels, pull your shades down!

Frank

 

[zeroyon]

I don't see what advantage there is for spy planes over recon satellites nowadays....

but either way, im putting my bets on the Global Hawk for purchase by the japanese for this new spy plane, and an order of F-22J's in either 2007 or 2008 to replace their F-4EJ's (if the US congress allows it, which at the moment seems like a huge maybe).

 

[Nuala]

if you stay at one of those love hotels, pull your shades down!
Frank

Haha. ^^
I'm glad Japan isn't relying on us intelligence. They aren't always reliable like nurizeko said. They have north korean neighbors, and the US is busy in Iraq right now. What do you think is going to happen if North Korea pulls something.