Washington, DC /eNewsChannels/ — Following is the text of a Joint Announcement issued by the United States and Japan following a meeting in Washington on January 13, 2010 to review and discuss cooperation on the civil use of the Global Positioning System: The Governments of the United States of America and Japan convened a plenary meeting at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. on January 13 to review and discuss cooperation in the civil use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and its augmentations, including Japan’s Multi-functional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) Satellite-based Augmentation System (MSAS) and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). The Global Positioning System consultations are held regularly pursuant to the “Joint Statement on Cooperation in the Use of the Global Positioning System” signed by the two Governments on September 22, 1998.
During the meeting, United States (U.S.) representatives described the status of Global Positioning Systems modernization and the United States’ international Global Positioning Systems cooperation with third parties. Representatives of the Government of Japan reported on the status of the Multi-functional Transport Satellite Satellite-based Augmentation System and Quasi-Zenith Satellite System programs and on Japanese international Global Navigation Satellite System-related (GNSS) cooperation activities. Both Governments reaffirmed the importance of providing open access to space-based positioning, navigation and timing services for peaceful purposes, free of direct user fees. Global Positioning Systems and its augmentations have become an integral part of modern life in the U.S., Japan and the world, providing essential services and increased efficiencies in a broad range of applications, such as aviation and maritime safety-of-life, geodetic surveying, car and personal navigation, mobile telephone timing, international financial transactions and electric power transmission.
Representatives of both Governments reviewed the ongoing work of the Global Positioning System/Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Technical Working Group, which was established to foster close cooperation during the development of Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. The Technical Working Group reaffirmed that both systems are designed to be compatible and highly interoperable. Both Governments noted with satisfaction that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) collaboration to install a Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Monitoring Station on NOAA property in Guam in exchange for access to monitoring station data has resulted in the completion of the Guam monitoring station. A similar effort between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to establish both a Quasi-Zenith Satellite System monitoring station and a Two-Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer station at a NASA facility in Hawaii in support of Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory is nearing completion. Both Governments intend to continue cooperation in protecting spectrum used for global navigation satellite systems. The two Governments also discussed the importance of pursuing the interoperability and compatibility of all current and planned global navigation satellite systems with Global Positioning and Quasi-Zenith Satellite Systems.
This 7th Plenary meeting strengthened cooperative relations between the United States and Japan. Both Governments acknowledged the important future contribution of Quasi-Zenith Satellite System to the space-based positioning, navigation and timing services of Japan. They affirmed that continued close cooperation in the area of satellite navigation will contribute to the peaceful development of the Asia-Pacific region and promote global economic growth. In that regard, both Governments welcomed the Asia Oceania Regional Workshop on Global Navigation Satellite Systems to be held in Bangkok, January 25-26, 2010, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Global Navigation Satellite System Implementation Team meeting to be held in Seattle, Washington, June 21-24, 2010.
