The Hill:
Japan will test its missile interceptor capability on Thursday, following several North Korean missile tests that have shaken the nation, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.
The country’s Air Self-Defense Force will test its Lockheed Martin-made Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), designed to shoot down missiles, at four bases in Tokyo.
The PAC-3 are meant to protect Tokyo’s metropolitan airspace.
North Korea in the past few months has launched several short- and medium-range missiles that have landed in the Sea of Japan.
In May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would take “specific action,” with the United States after a North Korean missile flew for around 300 miles before landing in the water off Japan’s coast.
“As we agreed at the recent G7, the issue of North Korea is a top priority for the international community,” Abe told reporters. “Working with the United States, we will take specific action to deter North Korea.”
The United States has already in April sent a Navy carrier group to the Korean Peninsula, with Japan joining the ships for drills.
President Trump has frequently criticized North Korea for its missile tests and threatened military action…
