| ASIA PACIFIC Date Posted: 19-Mar-2012 Japan threatens to shoot down North Korean rocketKosuke Takahashi JDW CorrespondentTokyo Additional reporting by James Hardy Asia-Pacific Editor London The warning came on 19 March from Japanese Defence Minister Naoki Tanaka, who said he would order the Japan Self-Defence Forces (SDF) to take action. "If we judge it poses a danger to Japan, I will take the necessary steps [to issue a destruction order]," Tanaka said during a Budget Committee session at the House of Councillors.  North Korea announced on 16 March that it would launch an Unha-3 rocket carrying an earth observation satellite called Kwangmyongsong-3 between 12 and 16 April, dates that coincide with celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the birth of regime founder Kim Il-sung. Japan's ballistic missile defence (BMD) system comprises 32 MIM-104F Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile interceptor batteries, in addition to batteries operated by US Forces Japan; four Kongo-class destroyers equipped with Standard SM-3 Block IA missiles; and two Atago-class destroyers equipped with the SM-2 Block IIIB system. Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said it was possible the North Korean missile could fly over the Nansei Islands, which include Okinawa Prefecture and stretch southwest towards Taiwan in the East China Sea. If Tanaka does issue a destruction order, he will be following a precedent set by then defence minister Yasukazu Hamada, who, on 27 March 2009, activated Japan's missile defence system in response to North Korean missile launch plans. On 5 April 2009 the North launched an Unha-2 rocket reportedly carrying a Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite from the Musudan-ni/Tonghae launch base in northeastern North Korea. However, Tokyo took no action because the rocket was deemed to pose no danger.
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
My latest story for JDW: Japan threatens to shoot down North Korean rocket
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