60 years since the revision of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty Japan-U.S. Cooperation expands to "space" January 19, 20:06
In the 60 years since the revision of the US-Japan Security Treaty, the nature and scope of Japan-US cooperation has changed over time, and is now expanding beyond space, land and sea to space.
Defense cooperation based on the Japan-US Security Treaty has been the cornerstone of Japan's security policy, which uses the powerful military power of the United States as a deterrent, and has expanded over the past 60 years as the international situation has changed.
The 2015 U.S.-Japan defense cooperation guidelines and guidelines, which define the scope of cooperation, were revised for the first time in the guidelines to strengthen Japan-US cooperation in new areas such as space and cyber, backed by technological innovation. The scope and scope of cooperation is expanding.
Satellites in space Widely used
At present, the use of satellites in space is indispensable for security, and is widely used for commanding units and collecting information.
In particular,
「" Communication satellite "used for communication with distant units,
「" Positioning satellites "used for position tracking and missile precision guidance,
「" Image satellite "that performs surveillance with high-performance cameras,
早期 "Early warning satellite" that detects the launch of ballistic missiles.
When the Ministry of Defense summarized the status of each country's possession of satellites allegedly used for military purposes based on reports from UK think tanks,
▽ 125 units in the United States,
▽ 103 units in China,
▽ There are 96 such as Russia,
Three countries stand out.
"Space status monitoring system" maintenance progresses
The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces have already begun using space and are working on a full-fledged development.
The Ministry of Defense first introduced the defense communication satellite "Kirameki" three years ago, and also uses the Japanese version of the satellite "Michibiki" and image satellites.
In order to protect such satellites from attacks and obstructions from other countries and from space debris, the "Space Status Monitoring System" is currently being developed.
Monitors approaching suspicious satellites and orbits of space debris with radar. In Japan, surveillance activities are already underway at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Ministry of Defense has dispatched an Air Self Defense Force officer three years ago to learn know-how.
Takuya Saito, who has been dispatched as the second liaison officer since last August, said he was initially surprised to be involved in the field of space, specializing in the maintenance and management of the base station's communication equipment. That is.
Saito and others said, "Before the assignment, I have no idea what to do, I am still groping," and said, "JAXA's state-of-the-art knowledge and know-how We believe that it will be used to make the operation of the Ministry's first space condition monitoring system more effective and reliable. "
The Ministry of Defense
ほ か In addition to launching a space operation squadron, a specialized unit for space surveillance, next year at the Air Self Defense Force's Fuchu base in Tokyo, and We will start operation of the monitoring system.
Background threats of each country
Japan and the United States strengthen cooperation in monitoring the space situation. Behind this, there is an ever-increasing amount of space debris and trends in countries that are developing weapons targeting satellites.
The Ministry of Defense stated that China and Russia were particularly active.
ミ Missile attacking satellites from the ground,
「" Killer satellites "that approach and attack artificial satellites,
▽ Laser weapons that interfere with satellite sensors,
指摘 They point out that the development of devices that interfere with communication between satellites and the ground is progressing.
In the midst of this, the United States has created a space army of the same rank as the Army and Navy last month, and has been opposing China and Russia, which are promoting military use of space.
Monitoring the space situation
Against the background of threats from various countries, cooperation between the United States and Japan in monitoring the space situation has already progressed.
The U.S. has created a global space surveillance network through radars set up in Europe and Australia and information sharing with other countries, and it is hoped that coordination with Japan will cover East Asia. You.
The United States and Japan have entered into an agreement to share information obtained from space situation monitoring, and information will be shared in the future between the Defense Ministry's space situation monitoring system and the US military.
In addition, the Air Self-Defense Force (JSDF) and others have participated in multilateral exercises on the monitoring of space conditions sponsored by the U.S. Army. Is being studied, and the United States and the United States are moving together in space.
On the other hand, if a Japanese satellite is attacked in space, the scope of Japan-US cooperation in space is limited, such as whether Article 5 of the US-Japan Security Treaty, which stipulates that the United States defend Japan, applies. There are many points left unclear.
Expert "Making strategy and policy is essential"
"The area of security is expanding to cyber and space, in addition to land, sea and air," said Professor Nobuo Sato of Takushoku University, which is familiar with security policy and defense technology. It is impossible to use, and the focus is on strengthening cooperation with the United States for successful cross-regional operations. "
Then, "The US-Japan Security Treaty does not envisage how space is used. Space is characterized by its borderless nature, and Japan's restrictive and limited right to self-defense, There is a possibility that there will be a gap between Japan's space strategy and how Japan will cooperate with the U.S. in developing strategies and policies. " doing.