Japan navy porn leak could sink defence system

THREE Japanese naval officers who swapped pornography on their computers triggered a scandal over a possible leak of sensitive data linked to Japan’s missile defence system.

Police launched a probe last week after a navy officer was found to have taken a computer disk containing information about the hi-tech Aegis radar system, domestic media said.

Aegis is used on Japanese destroyers that are to be fitted with SM-3 missile interceptors as part of the missile defence programme.

The officer told police he accidentally copied the confidential data onto his computer’s hard disk when copying porn from a crew member from another destroyer, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

Any defence leak could potentially affect Japan’s biggest ally, the United States, whose navy also uses the Aegis system.