The United States will station a new missile defense radar in Japan and deploy surveillance drones in the Pacific under a deal reached by top U.S. and Japanese officials
The moves are part of renewed mutual defense guidelines signed Thursday by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel, and their Japanese counterparts in Tokyo.
Under the deal, the U.S. will deploy long-range, Global Hawk reconnaissance drones to help monitor maritime activities in the Pacific, where Japan is involved in a territorial dispute with China.
The U.S. will also place an X-band radar system at Kyogamisaki air base on Japan's West coast over the next year to counter the threat of North Korean missiles.
In addition, the deal formalized a decision to relocate 5,000 U.S. Marines from Okinawa to other areas in the Pacific. It stated that Japan will pay a third of the cost of the relocation effort.