Japanese destroyers equipped with high-performance radar are being deployed in readiness for the launch of a North Korean rocket.
Three Aegis destroyers of the Maritime Self-Defense Force left Sasebo port, western Japan, for waters near Okinawa and other locations on Thursday morning.
The North says it will fire what it calls a satellite-carrying rocket between December 10th and 22nd. The Japanese ships will track the rocket. Japan and other countries regard the launch as a test of a long-range ballistic missile.
The Japanese destroyers are ready to fire SM-3 missiles to intercept any falling debris. The rocket is expected to pass over Okinawa’s Sakishima Islands.
Full article: Aegis destroyers leave to prepare for “rocket” (NHK World)
Global Geopolitics 