Media: Trump repeatedly criticized Japan for not shooting down North Korean missiles
During phone calls with leaders of countries in South-East Asia between August and October, US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized Japan for not shooting down the North Korean ballistic missiles flying over its territory, reported Kyodo news agency with reference to diplomatic sources.
According to Kyodo’s investigation, the American leader expressed extreme dissatisfaction regarding the absence of any action by Tokyo. “They should have shot them down. Why didn’t they shoot down the missiles flying over their territory? It’s a country of samurai warriors, I don’t understand it,” the news outlet cites the American president as saying.
Donald Trump, who began his official visit to Japan, may demand that Tokyo take decisive measures towards Pyongyang. As expected, the problem of North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs will be the topic of his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe.
On 29 August and 15 September, North Korea launched Hwasong 12 intermediate range ballistic missiles toward the Pacific Ocean. In both cases the missiles flew over the south-western part of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. The Japanese Self-Defense forces did not shoot them down because there was no threat of them falling on Japanese territory. In this regard a number of experts commented that it would have been technically difficult to intercept such missiles, because they were at the peak of their flight as they flew over Japan.
Japan has a two-tier anti-missile defense system. Ships equipped with Aegis systems are armed with SM-3 missile interceptor systems which are capable of shoot down ballistic missiles during the middle of their trajectory. If they are unable to do so, the second tier of anti-missile defense will be used, namely the Patriot PAC-3, which is used to take down a missile during the final stage of its flight. This system’s range is no more than several dozen kilometers.