Japan moves to end ban on military use of space

[TriSec]

Japan moves to end ban on military use of space

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's ruling party aims to end a decades-old ban on military involvement in space development, officials said on Friday.

A bill that would relax regulations and allow non-aggressive military use of space is expected to be submitted to parliament later this year, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) officials said.

Japan's armed forces are prohibited from involvement in space development under a strict interpretation of a 1969 parliamentary resolution limiting the use of space to peaceful purposes.

Critics have said this puts Japan at a disadvantage compared with countries such as Russia and the United States, where technology developed for military purposes often then filters down to the commercial market.

The regulation has also affected the quality of information available to Japan's armed forces, which are prohibited from developing their own satellites.

[Heidi]

1. TriSec:

Welcome to DU. :hi:

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[TriSec]

3. Fixxity

Ah, we're a little less strict over at Air America Place....some old habits will be harder to break than others.

[Heidi]

5. Thank you-kick.

:kick:

[Kagemusha]

2. Sort of odd to push on this... not good for relations with China

But yeah, it puts Japan at a disadvantage, sure. Guess they're not taking it lying down anymore.

[The Sushi Bandit]

4. Godzilla must be awakening!!

Where is Mothra when we need him!