British PM Cameron in Japan to discuss defense weaponry trade

@gregoryharukoApr. 11, 2012 - 06:45AM JST

The best protection for Japan against Kim's North Korea

That is problem exists only in mind Japanese politics.

I do wish Cameron had felt the same degree of motivation to provide the British troops in Afghanistan with adequate materiel instead of leaving them out there fighting an unwinnable war - which was nothing to do with us in the first place - ill-equipped.

Oh, but that would have involved spending money on British citizens instead of raking it in for his donors and cronies. What a disgrace this man is.

"God save the Queen" and "Kimigayo" working together in military technology is a sound tactical or geopolitical move by Great Britain (GB) and a way out for Britain's financial debts, but all with too outdated technology ! This military cooperation is not so important for Japan's future as is the common free market between Japan, Korea and China, in which harmony and peace are much more important then useless military weapons... The same reasoning goes for those expensive and useless US military bases in Okinawa... If the "Emperor's Reign" is still considering military weapons for the next 8000 generations (until the moss grows on it...), better seek advanced rocket technology from USA, Russia or China and better look for a Common East Asian military force (like a common European military force as with France, Germany and GB). The best protection for Japan against Kim's North Korea, is cooperation with South Korea and China, and trying to solve the problems by kicking out the geopolitics of the USA in East-Asia !

The British market so small and no perspective for Japan. Russia would be better. Also British can not help to Japan for solve problems with China and USA.

@FrungyApr. 10, 2012 - 05:16PM JST

My respect to you. I agree with you.

@just-a-bigguyApr. 10, 2012 - 05:31PM JST

Senators of USA found so fun information about it. Chinese 'second-hand' chips on F-35 so cool!

The bullets that are killing the innocent Syrian children have Cameron's fingerprints on them too.

Save the hand-wringing. Assad is supplied by his Russian friends.

Even with current level encryption it is impossible to do this. If this was possible no bank transaction in the world would be safe and terrorists would have crashed the NYSE rather than crashing into a building... I hear a lot of people saying their account was "hacked", and in 99.9999999% of the cases they either gave out their password or did something similarly stupid. The difficulty of actually trying to directly trying to "hack" any system, let alone a military one, is so insane that it verges on the impossible.

There are a number of things wrong with that comment. You can't compare breaches of security on personal computers to drone technology. People who run computers on hard lines and browse the internet carefully can protect themselves fairly well. But people who use wireless technology are exposing themselves to extra dangers if the information being sent/received is intercepted. Sure, military users of drones don't use the limited systems the public do, but because they can't use physical cables to link with the drones they are opening themselves to potential threats.

I also didn't mention terrorists. It's far more likely that a major power like China would try to develop ways to interfere with or gain control of drones in the future. It's simply not possible to claim that it's "impossible" to gain control of drones right now. Neither you nor I know what capabilities various countries have or may have in the near future.

... could've enticed him over with a free trip to Disneyland

They should have invited Netanyahu, and they could call themselves the Three Stooges.

This was reported on this site before any of the NK business

@ninjadave Was it now?

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-britain-reportedly-eye-joint-arms-development

Well you didn't look very hard did you.

Tut tut. I was looking for an article announcing Cameron's visit, not mere talks about joint arms development.

But a few things: First, I am surprised at how awful fast you coughed up the exact date and headline. Might be nice to provide a link next time?

Second, the article is expired. I cannot verify any plan for a visit from Cameron at that time.

Third, you first said "several months ago" now its only one month ago in your reply. But you get testy with your response. I take it humility is not your strong suit?

Fourth, just because we the public were not informed of the launch until March 17 or thereabouts, does not mean that Cameron and Noda did not know about it on March 4. I don't think the press has satellites trained on North Korea quite like MI5.

If you look at the inventory list, Japan has more to offer to the UK then the UK has to offer to Japan. Type-10 light weight MBTs, P-1 marine patrol planes, heat resistant ceramics for high temperature burn jet engines, air breathing hypersonic ASSMs, next generation BDMs, CHEAPER cargo planes than the A-400M or the C-17s, Super conductive electric motors for next generation surface ships,etc. The list goes on.

nip&tuck- Well you didn't look very hard did you. This was reported on this site before any of the NK business and the reason for the visit was exactly the same as that being told now. In fact it was on this site on March 4th under the headline " Japan,Britain reportedly eye joint arms development".

Yea, the visit was arranged a while ago although it was kept quiet.

@viking68 But you got the memo?

This visit was arranged several months ago.

@ninjadaveThe earliest report I can find of the arrangement is March 31st. The earliest report I can find of North Koreas recent launch plans is March 17.

I think it is as the article states. I think the visit has much to do with the planned launch.

And even if the visit was planned months ago, the purpose of the visit may well have changed, given the launch plans.

And so, I agree with SmithinJapan. Its a very convenient time to hawk arms in Japan, as much I personally think its all over-reaction and hope to see the war hawks marginalized for their stupidity.

Maybe Japan could give UK some advice on how not to let every freeloading Tom, Dick and Harry into the country and maybe UK could give some advice on how not to treat all foreigners as a nuisance and not worthy of human rights. Two countries going down the drains for the exact opposite reasons.

Give him the plans for your Vanguard-class subs Cameron, then you might be taken seriously.

Just like little mercenary Dave, he was first in to Egypt after the fall of Mubarak ready to sell them arms. The bullets that are killing the innocent Syrian children have Cameron's fingerprints on them too.

I'm ashamed that this dealer of death represents my country.

Cameron flys on a good airline.

@Ivan - he came through Haneda! :)

I wonder if Cameron had to go through the fingerprint routine at Narita? The sausage-faced goon.

Funny. My husband and I were just discussing defense weaponry trade in our little Anglo-Japanese empire here yesterday...

Its a great match, both sides are mercenary in their pursuit of making the rich richer at any cost.

Shumatsu_SamuraiApr. 10, 2012 - 05:32PM JST

Drones are the weapons of the future

Assuming that a command-and-control system can be made that means that an enemy can't take control of the drones and send them back at you. In 20 years drones might be the norm, but for the moment it's very necessary to have piloted-aircraft.

Even with current level encryption it is impossible to do this. If this was possible no bank transaction in the world would be safe and terrorists would have crashed the NYSE rather than crashing into a building.

I hear a lot of people saying their account was "hacked", and in 99.9999999% of the cases they either gave out their password or did something similarly stupid. The difficulty of actually trying to directly trying to "hack" any system, let alone a military one, is so insane that it verges on the impossible.

He'll need is Inkan Shomei Sho to do anything here LoL

He'll never get passed all the red tape here.

I would love to see more defence cooperation between the UK and Japan. They both make some decent kit, though in different areas. It would be interesting to see what they could come up with together.

it's just a convenient excuse for an arms race in the area

Earth to uninformed guy, there's been an arms race in Asia for years thanks to China's spending sprees, although Japan hasn't joined in yet given spending has been limited to around 1% of GDP.

Drones are the weapons of the future

Assuming that a command-and-control system can be made that means that an enemy can't take control of the drones and send them back at you. In 20 years drones might be the norm, but for the moment it's very necessary to have piloted-aircraft.

The F-35 jet fighter program is nothing known as 'secret' when it's communications and antenna systems and every software has got to rewrite after exposed to Chinese 'electronic services' for 18 months of survelliences through the BAE company! Good try Mr cameron, you are able to sell the most 'rottened apples' to your asia ally!

Japan really doesn't need any aircraft. Drones are the weapons of the future, and Japan is already a world leader in their fabrication. Drones can potential out-perform regular jets since they don't have to consider the pilot, just the weapons payload and fuel restrictions.

Yea, the visit was arranged a while ago although it was kept quiet.

Still, NK is not high on the English radar. It has always been treated as a US, S. Korean and Japanese issue.

Make war, not peace.

`smithinjapan. This visit was arranged several months ago.

Oh my! Just when NK is going to launch its rocket, eh? Obviously convenient timing, and that's what this is all about for the nations who feel 'threatened' by what NK is doing: it's just a convenient excuse for an arms race in the area, and those that sell are pimping it for what it's worth.

So this could pretty much be a triangle of us, UK and the US..