Japan Puts Military On Alert To Shoot Down North Korean Rocket
Source: Guardian UK
Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Wednesday 3 February 2016 01.59 EST
Japan has threatened to shoot down any North Korean missile that threatens its territory and has deployed ballistic missile defence units in preparation for what officials in Pyongyang says is the imminent launch of a satellite.
Japan’s defence minister, Gen Nakatani, on Wednesday ordered the deployment of Aegis destroyers in the Sea of Japan and Patriot missile batteries on land, hours after North Korea confirmed that it was preparing to launch the satellite – an act that would inevitably use a banned long-range rocket.
North Korea has informed the International Maritime Organisation, a UN agency, that it planned to launch the Kwangmyongsong earth observation satellite sometime between 8 and 25 February.
Among the most likely dates for the launch is 16 February, the birthday of Kim Jong-il, father of the current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/03/japan-puts-military-on-alert-to-shoot-down-north-korean-rocket
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