Japan Defense Minister meets British counterpart

Japanese and British defense chiefs have agreed to cooperate on preventing cyber attacks that target defense secrets. Japan''s Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa and British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond met in Tokyo on Monday, according to Japanese (NHK WORLD) website. They agreed to compile a new memorandum to outline bilateral cooperation on cyber attacks. The memorandum would also call for developing defense cooperation against piracy off Somalia and other areas. Hammond also pushed for Japan to name a fighter jet developed by Britain and three other European countries, as its next mainstay fighter. Japan''s Defense Ministry will decide on the type of fighter jet to replace its F-4 fleet of planes at a cost of several billion dollars by the end of November.