Arabstoday:
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday that Japan plans to deploy ground-based missile interceptors at the Defense Ministry compound in Tokyo at all times amid North Korea’s repeated launches of ballistic missiles despite international condemnation.
The deployment of the interceptors, named Patriot Advanced Capability-3, by March 2017 is aimed at strengthening the defense of the Japanese capital and surrounding areas, where government capabilities are concentrated.
Previously, the PAC-3 units had to be relocated from a nearby Self-Defense Forces base every time there was a threat of a missile launch.
The deployment plan was revealed after North Korea fired five projectiles on Monday into waters off its east coast, just days after Pyongyang defied international condemnation by launching a medium-range ballistic missile.
Nakatani has ordered the SDF to prepare to shoot down any North Korean ballistic missile in the event it falls toward Japanese territory, a government source has said.
PAC-3 interceptors have been deployed at the ministry compound since Friday, in addition to Camp Asaka in Tokyo and Camp Narashiono in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, Nakatani said.
The ministry has earmarked 900 million yen in the budget plan for fiscal 2016 ending next March as costs toward deployment of the PAC-3 units.
Also on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan will urge North Korea to refrain from launching missiles in cooperation with related countries.
“Japan will continue to coordinate with related countries to urge North Korea to exercise restraint and follow U.N. Security Council resolutions” banning Pyongyang from conducting any launch using ballistic missile technology, Kishida told reporters.
“We need to take all possible measures to respond to any situations,” Kishida said, while declining to comment on whether Tokyo has lodged a protest with Pyongyang over Monday’s launch of the projectiles.
