 |
| Japanese Patriot Missile System (Image: Wiki Commons) |
The government of Japan is planning to keep the order to intercept North Korean missiles or their fragments on a constant basis, local media reported Thursday.
TOKYO (Sputnik) — North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its eastern shore early Wednesday. It traveled hundreds of miles before plunging into the Sea of Japan not far from the northern Japanese coast.
TOKYO (Sputnik) — North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its eastern shore early Wednesday. It traveled hundreds of miles before plunging into the Sea of Japan not far from the northern Japanese coast.
According to the NHK broadcaster citing Japanese government sources, Tokyo is in final arrangements to keep the missile interception order in effect at all times, while until now it issued the directive only after it spotted launch preparations from the North Korea.
The media added that the order being always in place would mean that the government would continually employ interceptor missile launchers and destroyers equipped with the advanced radar system.
North Korea is currently under pressure from the international community since its January nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch in February, which resulted in tightening sanctions against Pyongyang in the new UN Security Council resolution in March.
In July, the US Department of Defense announced it would deploy the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) anti-missile in South Korea to counter the threat from Pyongyang.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.