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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

8 U.S. Aegis ships deployed in Yokosuka to beef up 'missile defense'

The U.S. Navy in Japan has made public a plan to add two more Aegis ships to be stationed at the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture. With these warships, equipped with high-end radars capable of searching and tracking ballistic missiles, the base will have eight Aegis ships in total.

To be deployed are the Aegis Destroyer Mustin and Aegis Cruiser Shiloh. The Yokosuka base will be further strengthened as a forward stronghold of the "missile defense" program, a pillar of the U.S. preemptive attack strategy.

Pointing out that the Japan-U.S. agreement last October on the U.S. military realignment in Japan clearly states the importance of the "missile defense" program, the commander of the U.S. Naval Forces in Japan emphasized that the Aegis Cruiser Shiloh, equipped with the state-of-the-art SM-3 interceptor missiles, is going to be deployed in line with this agreement. The commander stated, "Missile defense plays a decisive role to deter and defend against ballistic missile attacks."

Akahata on April 21 reported that the "missile defense" enables the U.S. forces to launch preemptive attacks without fear of a counter attack by an enemy using ballistic missiles. The Mustin and the Shiloh are also capable of launching anti-surface Tomahawk cruise missiles. They, in fact, participated in the preemptive attacks against Iraq using the Tomahawk missile.

The U.S. forces also seek to deploy the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington to the base in order to form a strike force with the Aegis ships and other vessels.
- Akahata, April 21, 2006