Japan to take part in AsterX space defense drill with NATO members

South Korea will also join as concerns rise over Russian and Chinese threats

Last year's AsterX exercise featured a scenario in which Mercure, a hypothetical adversary with powerful space capabilities, threatened its fictional neighbor Arnland. (France's National Centre for Space Studies)

MADOKA KITAMATSU and YUSUKE TAKEUCHI, Nikkei staff writers

March 3, 2024 00:12 JST

PARIS/TOKYO -- Japan will join NATO members and other partners for an annual space defense exercise in France starting Monday, preparing for real-world threats like attacks on communications satellites.

Sixteen nations will take part in AsterX 24, hosted by the French Air and Space Force in Toulouse.