TOKYO: Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan will “not abandon any options” in discussions and studies on whether to equip nuclear-powered submarines, Kyodo News reported, as part of the revision of the country’s key security documents.
The report said Koizumi made the remarks at a news conference when asked whether Japan should have nuclear-powered submarines.
This is not the first time Koizumi has made such remarks. Last October, when asked about the issue, he said he would “not rule out any options” for a next-generation submarine propulsion system, which suggests the possibility of deploying nuclear-powered submarines.
Meanwhile, according to Kyodo news agency on Thursday, a US Navy official expressed a positive view of Japan’s study on the use of nuclear-powered submarines, noting that Japan already operates nuclear power plants and that there are technological similarities between nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered submarines.
Translated by Chook Bora
This site is translated by Google Translate™
