Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Japan to produce US missiles under licence
Indo-Asian News Service
Tokyo, July 19, 2005
Japan will produce ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability 3 interceptor missiles under license from the US as part of the missile defence system, Japan's defence chief said on Tuesday.
The Japanese and US governments concluded a Memorandum of Understanding in March this year for the licensed production arrangement, Defence Agency Director General Yoshinori Ono told a press conference on Tuesday.
While the costs of producing the missiles domestically are much larger than purchasing them from the US, the long-term costs, including upkeep, would be less and Japan would also benefit by building on its missile production technologies, Ono said.
"Licensed production would secure Japan's technological and production bases. The cost will be higher in the short-term, but when we think about the costs of inviting technicians from the US for maintenance and repair, it would balance out in the long run," Ono said.
According to Kyodo News, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd is expected to conclude a contract with US manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp. by March 2006 and produce the PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles domestically for deployment starting fiscal 2008.
The PAC-3 missile is a key component of the next-generation missile defence system.
© HT Media Ltd. 2005.