US eyes using radar missile detection in Japan

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – The Trump administration is mulling the deployment in Japan of “Homeland Defense Radar” to guard against missiles, media reports said.

Korean daily The Chosunilbo said deployment of the new defense system in Japan will allow the U.S. to defend itself from China, Russia, and North Korea.

“The radar the U.S. wants to deploy in Japan would be capable of detecting intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) flying towards the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, or Guam,” the news report said.

The new claims of more U.S. arms deployment come amid concerns raised by locals in a Japanese province regarding the relocation of a U.S. army base.

The local government in the southern Okinawa region will hold a referendum on Feb. 24 on whether to relocate a U.S. military base from Ginowan to Henoko.

Previously, politicians in five of the region's 41 municipalities had refused to take part in the referendum.

The newspaper said that Washington will initiate a dialogue with Japan's Abe administration over the radar proposal.

It added that the radar is already deployed in the U.S. states of Alaska and California.

“But it is getting more difficult to detect signs of hostile overseas launches after China developed new ICBMs that can be fired from mobile launchers,” it added.