Asia Defense

Japan Plans First Military Communications Satellite Launch

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Asia Defense

Japan Plans First Military Communications Satellite Launch

Japan anticipates the operationalization of a space-based X-band military communication satellite network.

Japan Plans First Military Communications Satellite Launch
Credit: SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE

Japan is set to launch its first military communications satellite next week. The Japanese satellite, known as the Kirameki-2, will be launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The launch in question was announced in November 2016 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which will coordinate the launch with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the country’s civilian space agency. Japanese military satellite plans were announced in early 2013, when the Ministry of Defense announced (PDF) a scheme for the construction, launch, and operation of a satellite network through 2030.

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