Japan must strengthen its ballistic missile defenses, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday — a potentially controversial proposition given the country’s pacifist constitution, which limits its military capabilities.

Abe made the call despite being in the final days of his tenure, after deciding to resign for health reasons — a sign, analysts said, of the importance he attaches to the issue.

In a statement, he warned that the country’s security environment is becoming more testing, citing the ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea, and questioned whether Japan could protect itself sufficiently with interception systems alone…

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