Japan has placed the army on alert for a possible launch of ballistic missiles from North Korea. The Japanese Defense Minister, Gen Nakatani, has ordered the four Kongo class destroyers and their respective fleets operating in the Sea of Japan and equipped with the Aegis integrated combat system, to stand up to protect the national territory against possible North Korean ballistic missiles.
The class vectors Congo they are equipped with tactical missile launchers MK 41. Each Japanese destroyer is equipped with 90 interceptor missiles. The systems Aegis they are able to trace multiple targets and are armed with missiles SM-3 designed to destroy warheads in space before they can re-enter the earth's atmosphere and hit military targets.
The main structures of Japan, as well as the capital Tokyo, are defended by a line of fire Patriot PAC-3. The MIM-104F interceptor is considered the state of the art in defense against ballistic missiles. More than a direct attack, Japan fears that the debris of a missile test could fall on its territory.
The American spy satellites would have detected an increased activity in the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, in Tongchang-ri, in northwestern North Korea. The satellite images show an increase in the size of the missile launchers, brought to 67 meters in height. Estimate considered plausible for the launch of a rocket far larger than the Unha-3, which flew over South Korea and Japan before crashing into the Yellow Sea (debris from the second stage reached the Philippine Sea).
According to the Pentagon, the work carried out to date allows the North to prepare a missile launch in a few hours.
