Japan Discussing Idea Of Missile Defense Crossing Into 3rd Country Territories - Reports

Japan Discussing Idea of Missile Defense Crossing Into 3rd Country Territories - Reports

The Japanese government has begun discussing an initiative, flagged by lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, of making it possible for the country's missile defense to hit targets in the territory of "enemies," media in Japan reported on Tuesday

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) The Japanese government has begun discussing an initiative, flagged by lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, of making it possible for the country's missile defense to hit targets in the territory of "enemies," media in Japan reported on Tuesday.

As reported by the Kyodo news agency, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delegated the discussion of the initiative to the National Security Council, saying that "the government's task is to protect people's lives and their peaceful existence."

The final decision on the matter can reportedly be expected in September so that related expenditures are accounted for in the 2021 budget.

The initiative was tabled by a group of lawmakers led by former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera after Tokyo forsook the deployment of two Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense systems, the pillar of the country's defense strategy, in June.

Japan's missile defense strategy is primarily oriented on North Korea which repeatedly threatened to bomb Japanese-stationed US troops.