Nuclear-powered aircraft carriers   are considered one of the most important marine weapons in the 20th century. So far, only two countries in the world--the prefix = st1 /USAandFrance--have ever produced them. But these frightful fighting machines are about to enter Asia. The US Navy said last month that one of its nine nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will be sent to Japanto replace the diesel-powered carrier Kitty Hawk in 2009 in an agreement on October 30th. The two countries also planned to level up their military cooperation and theUSAcalled forJapanto take a large role in alliance military moves. It will be the first time that a nuclear-powered carrier is based in Japan. Bombed byUSforces in World War II at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,Japanis the only world country to have been attacked by a nuclear weapon. Therefore, the citizens are highly sensitive to where nuclear-powered weapons are based. "A radiation leak at Yokosuka would kill 100,000 people as far away as Tokyo, and could cause billions of dollars in damage," said Masahiko Go to, leader of a protest group inYokosuka. His group has collected more than 300,000 signatures of people acrossJapanopposed to the nuclear carrier. The 44-year-old Kitty Hawk, the USnavy's oldest active ship, has been based in Yokosuda since 1998. The new carrier, yet to be _ , will travel faster, be capable of supporting longer operations and carry with it the Navy's most modern technology. Experts pointed that this change is not only to strengthen the US-Japan military alliance but also to keep the military power of ChinaandNorth Koreawithin limits. However, Japanese experts don't believe that the countries are threats to the region. "There is no need for Japanto have a nuclear carrier as defense," said Tetsuo Maeda, an international relations professor atTokyoInternationalUniversity. He said that the change of ship indicates an increased military capacity, in the region, much more than what is needed. The replacement of the aircraft carrier is intended to
show Japan's greater,military capability strengthen the US-Japan military alliance get rid of the dated marine weapon set up a kind of base in Japan