The paper noted that the report, which was prepared for U.S. congressmen, raved about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly ballistic missiles, after the end of the Cold War, and requested Japan to push ahead with the TMD plan under the pretext of the potential missile threat from such a country as North Korea and for the security of the Asian region.
The paper said that although the Japanese Government is taking a position at present that Japan is presently in a stage of investigation and research to make a political judgment on this plan, the United States will make stronger request urging Japan to participate in and introduce the TMD system, and that Japan will begin a full-fledged discussion on this matter.
The paper exposed that the Japan Defense Agency supports the TMD plan and is accelerating research, forming a ballistic missile defense research department last April, and that the Japanese and U.S. Governments agreed to exchange an official document aimed at protecting the secret for the research for the TMD plan.