Japan threatens to shoot down any North Korean missile that enters its territory
FTMay 29, 2023
Japan on Monday put its ballistic missile defenses on alert, vowing to use its Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) or Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) to destroy any projectile that threatened its territory.
This comes as Japan's Defense Ministry issued an order to shoot down any North Korean missile that enters its territory after Pyongyang notified Tokyo of its intention to launch a "satellite" in the coming two weeks.
North Korea's satellite launch is a dangerous provocation that cannot be allowed to proceed. A working spy satellite would strengthen Pyongyang's ability to conduct a pre-emptive strike as well as monitor potential incoming threats from the US and South Korea.
North Korea's satellite program is simply defensive in nature. Pyongyang has a right to exercise its sovereignty and justifiable self-defense in response to the confrontational moves made by Washington and Seoul. A successful launch will help defend North Korea against future attacks by the hegemonic US and South Korea.
There's a 72% chance that Japan Self-Defense Forces will have tested a Tomahawk missile by mid-2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.