Japan and the United States plan to establish a joint air-defense command center at the U.S. Air Force's Yokota base in western Tokyo by fiscal 2009, Japanese and U.S. government sources said.
Creation of the command center is aimed at strengthening Japan's ability to detect and deal with enemy missile launches.
The plan is in line with a bilateral agreement in April 2004 to move the air-defense command of the Air Self-Defense Force from its current location in Fuchu, also in western Tokyo, to Yokota, the sources said.
The ASDF air-defense command plays a key role in Japan's Basic Air Defense Ground Environment, or BADGE, system. BADGE uses radar networks to detect airborne targets before they intrude into the nation's airspace.
Transferring the air-defense command to Yokota will coincide with an update of the BADGE system in fiscal 2009.
The U.S. initially asked Japan to provide all air-defense information it collects via the BADGE system to the U.S. military.
But Japan was reluctant, saying it needs to maintain the independence of the Self-Defense Forces. This led the two countries to decide to set up the joint air-defense command center. Through the center, Japan is to share with the U.S. military some of the information it collects, the sources said.
On Japan's request that the United States return a controlling right at Yokota Air Base, Washington has decided to study the matter after the fiscal 2007 return of this right at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture, the sources said.