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Lawmakers have 15
days to block the sale, although such action is rare. Once the
deal has cleared that hurdle, Japan and the U.S. government can
negotiate the actual sale.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign
arms sales, told lawmakers the government of Japan had asked to
buy three Global Hawk drones including parts and logistical
support.
The drones “will significantly enhance Japan’s intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and help
ensure that Japan is able to continue to monitor and deter
regional threats,” the agency said in a notice to lawmakers that
was posted on its website.
Japan has long been mired in a territorial dispute with China
over a group of tiny, uninhabited East China Sea islands.
In the South China Sea, Japan has been helping build the
military capacity of friendly nations with claims to parts of
the waterway.
On Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he
may consider a request from the Philippines for large coast
guard ships to patrol the South China Sea.
The prime contractor on the deal would be Northrop Grumman Corp.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by David Gregorio)
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