Japan Deploys Patriot Missiles to Defend Against Possible North Korean Strike

Threat level hard to tell

Japan has deployed Patriot missiles in its capital as it readies to defend the 30 million people who live in greater Tokyo from any North Korean attack, officials said Tuesday.

Two Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air missile launchers had been stationed at the defence ministry in Tokyo before dawn, a ministry spokesman said, while Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said "we are proceeding with measures including deployment of PAC-3 as we are on alert".

Comments

[Marla Singer]

My husband was in the jieitai (the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force), and he told me at the time that they weren't allowed to just carry bullets. When they had target practice or something, they were issued bullets, but they had to collect and return all the shells--if one shell was missing, there was trouble. I asked him at the time what the military was supposed to do if North Korea invaded and they didn't have any bullets. He said, "call the police." This, at least, would seem to be some progress.