Japan Agrees to Buy U.S. Parts for Spy Satellites


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	Japan Agrees to Buy U.S. Parts for Spy Satellites posted: 09:30 am ET 29 September 1999

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Wednesday formally agreed to buy U.S. parts and components to build its first spy satellites planned for launch in early 2003.

Japan decided to launch the four intelligence satellites following North Korea's surprise test-firing in August 1998 of a ballistic missile over Japanese air space.

Japan's Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and U.S. ambassador to Japan Thomas Foley signed a document in Tokyo on Wednesday to confirm the deal.

Japan plans to spend 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion) to develop and launch four spy satellites by the end of March 2003, but how much of this money would be used to buy parts from the United States is uncertain.

Japanese government sources said Tokyo could end up ``virtually importing whole satellites'' from the United States because it was not currently capable of developing key functions.

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Japan also plans to set up a satellite information center by March 2001 to operate the satellites and deal with incoming data.

To allay fears among its Asian neighbors over a possible resurgence of militarism, Japan has said the satellites will be used only to gather information needed for crisis management as well as prevent smuggling and illegal immigration.