Japan To Deploy Three Aegis Destroyers For Missile Defence Against North Korea

March 25, 2012 David Pugliese - Defence Watch

Three Aegis destroyers will be deployed to the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan to intercept a North Korean rocket to be launched next month if it appears that it will fall in Japanese territory or waters, the Japan Times reported.

The Defense Ministry will deploy two Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis vessels equipped with Standard Missile-3 interceptors to the East China Sea from the MSDF base in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, government sources told the newspaper.

Another Aegis destroyer with SM-3 interceptors will be despatched to the Sea of Japan from the MSDF base in Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture.