- News>
- World
Japan to deploy missile defence system against N Korean threat
Tokyo, June 22: Japan plans to deploy advanced interceptor missiles to beef up its defence system amid fears that North Korea has up to 170 medium-range missile units targeting the country, a daily said today.
Tokyo, June 22: Japan plans to deploy advanced interceptor missiles to beef up its defence system amid fears that North Korea has up to 170 medium-range missile units
targeting the country, a daily said today.
The security council of Japan and the cabinet will adopt
a plan to allocate funds for two types of missile systems --
standard missile-3 (SM-3) and patriot advanced capability-3
(PAC-3) -- in late July, the Yomiuri Shimbun said, quoting
government sources.
The government intends to begin the USD 1.7-billion defence program as early as April 2007, the mass-circulation newspaper said.
The plan came after the government unofficially learned that Pyongyang had 160 to 170 medium-range Rodong missile units targeting Japan and that North Korea might have acquired technology to reduce the size of nuclear weapons so they can be mounted on ballistic missiles, the report said.
The SM-3 to be mounted on aegis-equipped destroyers intercepts ballistic missiles in outer space.
The state-of-the-art PAC-3 is designed to intercept missiles closer to the earth's surface during their descend prior to impact. Some us troops have already fielded the system.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and US President George W. Bush agreed in late may to enforce and accelerate mutual cooperation on missile defence programs in response to North Korea's missile threat. Bureau Report
The government intends to begin the USD 1.7-billion defence program as early as April 2007, the mass-circulation newspaper said.
The plan came after the government unofficially learned that Pyongyang had 160 to 170 medium-range Rodong missile units targeting Japan and that North Korea might have acquired technology to reduce the size of nuclear weapons so they can be mounted on ballistic missiles, the report said.
The SM-3 to be mounted on aegis-equipped destroyers intercepts ballistic missiles in outer space.
The state-of-the-art PAC-3 is designed to intercept missiles closer to the earth's surface during their descend prior to impact. Some us troops have already fielded the system.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and US President George W. Bush agreed in late may to enforce and accelerate mutual cooperation on missile defence programs in response to North Korea's missile threat. Bureau Report