ALBAWABA - Tokyo Japan has declared its intention to spend $2 billion building a comprehensive defense satellite network to keep an eye on military and marine operations. This move follows a recent event in which a Chinese military aircraft entered Japanese airspace without authorization for the first time.
Japan's Ministry of Defense said on August 26 that it would supervise the development and operation of this satellite network, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Satellites will be put into low Earth orbit as part of the project, which is expected to be finished by 2028, to improve surveillance capabilities. The precise count of satellites remains undisclosed; nonetheless, their purpose is to monitor military and naval maneuvers.
The strategic significance of the new satellites was emphasized by retired Japanese Air Force General Haruhiko Kataoka, who noted that Japan will be less reliant on American assistance as a result of having autonomous monitoring and targeting capabilities. Concerns concerning the prompt sharing of information were also raised by Kataoka.
Following an incident in which Japanese fighter planes were sent to intercept a Chinese military aircraft that had invaded Japanese airspace, the decision was made to expedite the satellite network project.
Before there was any direct conflict, the aircraft took off. Later, spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Cien said that the aircraft had no intention of entering Japanese airspace.
