Japan intercepted a missile target yesterday in its second successful exercise involving the U.S.-built Patriot Advanced Capability 3 system, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Aug. 24).
The Japanese air force "successfully intercepted a mock ballistic missile at Japan time 11:46 p.m. on Sept. 16 in a test conducted in New Mexico," a Japanese Defense Ministry spokeswoman said.
Tokyo hopes by early 2011 to have established its defenses against North Korean missile threats, AFP reported (Agence France-Presse/Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 17).