Sept. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party drafted a bill to allow the country to develop satellites that can generate higher resolution images to detect foreign military moves, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

Japan, which on Sept. 11 launched its third intelligence- gathering satellite, is currently restricted to developing satellites with only technology that is widely used by civilians, the report said. It cited a 1967 United Nations treaty on space activities including the principle of the peaceful use of space as constraining Japan's reconnaissance satellite capability.

Some critics have argued such satellites, which can distinguish an object of 1 meter (3.28 feet), are not sufficient to detect signs of missile firings by countries, such as North Korea, according to the newspaper.

The ruling party plans to submit the bill to either an extraordinary parliament session starting Sept. 26 or to a regular session, which will start next January, the newspaper said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Issei Morita in Tokyo at imorita@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 17, 2006 04:04 EDT