South Korea has dispatched two destroyers to watch both sides of the peninsula for a possible North Korean missile launch, South Korean media report.
According to a South Korea Navy official quoted by Yonhap news agency, the destroyers were outfitted with SPY-1 radar which can track hundreds of objects simultaneously from up to 1,000 kilometres away.
At the same time, the American Department of Defense is going to deploy Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System, or THAAD, ballistic missile defense system to Guam in the coming weeks as a precautionary move to strengthen the regional defense posture against the North Korean regional ballistic missile threat, Pentagon officials said on Wednesday, 3th April.
Several media reports indicated that a KN-08 missile was positioned to the east coast of North Korea on Thursday.
The KN-08 missile could reach “a considerable distance”, including Japan, South Korea and U.S. military bases on the Pacific Island of Guam.
“The United States continues to urge the North Korean leadership to cease provocative threats and choose the path of peace by complying with its international obligations, remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations, and stands ready to defend U.S. territory, allies and national interests”, the Pentagon statement read.
The move of rockets was condemned by the European Union, the United Nations, the U.S., Russia and by China.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 5, 2013