US wants more anti-missile radar in Japan: Report

Tokyo, Dec 26: US officials have proposed putting moreanti-missile radar in Japan to help intercept weapons from North Koreaheaded for US soil, a newspaper reported today.

Quoting an unnamed US military source, the Asahi Shimbun said theradar would also be intended to better monitor and track ballisticmissiles from the communist state heading towards US troops stationedin Japan and South Korea.

Security worries have mounted since North Korea test-fired abarrage of missiles in July and conducted its first-ever nuclear testin October.

Japanese defence officials are considering the proposal, which was made in mid-November, the Asahi said.

The United States currently has anti-missile radar in northernJapan. But that radar failed to pick up missile tests by North Korea inJuly because it had been monitoring missiles headed for US soil.

Those missiles fell into the Sea of Japan.

Reuters