Japan and the United States have decided to allow private companies to directly exchange information on defence technology in a bid to quicken the pace of joint development, a report said Sunday. The two governments are expected to reach a formal agreement on the matter by the end of the month, following a basic agreement signed in a foreign and defence ministerial meeting in May in Washington, the Nikkei business daily reported, without naming sources.
Under the current framework, information on defence technology can be exchanged between companies only via the governments, with joint consent needed every time data is released to private firms.
The new arrangement would allow, for example, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Raytheon Co., a major US defence contractor, to reach a technical assistance agreement that gives each direct access to the other's database, the report said.
The new rule will be used for a development project related to the missile defence system as early as this month, it said.
Japan and the United States are boosting military cooperation amid North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, and as China steps up its military spending.
Source: Agence France-Presse
