{"id":20752,"date":"2017-09-19T14:13:40","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T14:13:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/19\/japan-deploys-pac-3-missile-interceptor-near-north-korea-flight-path\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:09:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:09:57","slug":"japan-deploys-pac-3-missile-interceptor-near-north-korea-flight-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/space-missile-defense\/2017\/09\/19\/japan-deploys-pac-3-missile-interceptor-near-north-korea-flight-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan deploys PAC-3 missile interceptor near North Korea flight path"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TOKYO (AP) \u2014 Japan on Tuesday moved a mobile missile-defense system on the northern island of Hokkaido to a base near recent North Korean missile flyover routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor unit was deployed at the Hakodate base on southern Hokkaido \u201cas a precaution\u201d as part of government preparations for a possible emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relocation came after a North Korean missile was test-fired last week and flew over southern Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific off the island\u2019s east coast \u2014 the second flyover in less than a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The PAC-3 was brought from another base in Yakumo town on Hokkaido, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Hakodate. The system has a range of about 20 kilometers.<\/p>\n\n\n\t