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U.S. to test run X-band radar in Japan for Taepodong-2 surveillance+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, June 25_(Kyodo) _ The United States will start a test run of its military radar newly set up in northeastern Japan as early as Monday to monitor moves related to North Korea's possible launch of a Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile, a U.S. government official said Sunday. Operation of the mobile X-band radar for an advanced early warning system against ballistic missiles, installed at the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force's Shariki base in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture, was initially scheduled to begin in the summer, but the plan will apparently be moved up as a measure to try to deter the missile launch. Concerns over the possibility of a North Korean ballistic missile launch emerged after moves seen as preparations for such a launch have been reported since earlier this month. The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, which is promoting a missile defense system for intercepting ballistic missiles, is said to be considering intercepting the Taepodong-2 in the event North Korea were to actually launch it. The official expressed confidence in the acquisition and tracking capabilities of the X-band radar and suggested that it would enable the United States to obtain data to counter a possible assertion by North Korea that the launch was meant to put a satellite into orbit. But the official did not make reference to the possibility that the missile defense system can actually intercept the Taepodong-2. The official predicted that North Korea is likely to launch the missile during daytime in order to make a bigger impact and to collect flight data, but noted that the weather conditions may not be suitable for a launch from Monday on. The U.S. military based in Japan has stepped up surveillance in response to the development, such as by sending two Aegis-equipped destroyers capable of tracking ballistic missiles near North Korean coasts. According to the Japanese Defense Agency, the radar at Shariki base will use a frequency called X-band to detect ballistic missiles immediately after launch, track them and identify projected landing points. The radar deployment is part of the Japan-U.S. joint missile defense project, which began after North Korea fired a ballistic missile in August 1998, part of which flew over Japan and dropped into the Pacific Ocean. |