East and Southeast Asia Prepare for North Korean Rocket

摘要

Japan is preparing its air defence systems to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it threatens the country, Japan's Defence Minister Naoki Tanaka has said. The nuclear-armed North has announced it will launch a rocket in mid-April to put a satellite into orbit, a move the United States, South Korea and other nations see as a pretext for a long-range missile test banned by the United Nations. It was reported that Japan has deployed the PAC-3 Patriot systems and Aegis warships.