![]() |
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered missile defence preparations before Pyongyang's last long-range rocket launched |
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's cabinet on Friday gave the green light to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it threatens Japan's territory, as the planned launch raises global alarm bells.
But the United States and its allies suspect it is a disguised missile test, and say the launch would contravene UN sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's missile programme.
"(The cabinet) at a security meeting this morning confirmed the policy to issue a destroy order," an official in the prime minister's office told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The order gave Defence Minister Naoki Tanaka the power to have the projectile shot down, as Japan grows increasingly worried that the rocket may pass over – or fall into – its territory.
Last week, Tanaka said he was readying Japan's missile defence systems to destroy the rocket if necessary.
![]() |
Japan ready to shoot-down North Korean rocket |
Aegis destroyers equipped with missile defence systems will also be deployed in waters near Okinawa and in the Sea of Japan, he said.
In 2009, Japan ordered missile defence preparations before Pyongyang's last long-range rocket launch which brought UN Security Council condemnation and tightened sanctions against the isolated communist state.
Japan is readying its missile defense systems to shoot down a North
Japan's move come as satellite images showed North Korea has begun preparing for a rocket launch next month despite international condemnation.
North Korea also test-fired two short-range missiles off its west coast this week, South Korean media reported Friday.
Hiroyasu Akutsu, professor at the National Institute for Defence Studies (NIDS), said North Korea is "confident that China will ultimately support them if they launch the satellite" despite the international pressure.
![]() |
Japan's experience, since 1966 in building the Mu range of booster rockets (with 7 smaller rockets before the M-5) Japan's ability to build manageable IRBMs and ICBMs is obvious. |
In a study published on Friday, NIDS warned improvements in nuclear technology, coupled with the change in leadership that has seen the untested Kim Jong-un take control in Pyongyang, has increased the risk of a conflict engulfing the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment