JAPAN

ASDF anti-missile drills at U.S. bases overshadowed by North Korean launch

ASDF tests deployment of PAC-3 systems to U.S. bases in Japan in first such coordination

Lt. Gen. Hiroaki Maehara, the commander of the Air Self-Defense Forces, delivers a speech in front of Japanese Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) demonstrating the training to utilize Lt. Gen. Hiroaki Maehara, commander of the ASDF’s Air Defense Command, delivers a speech Tuesday during a test deployment of missile interceptors at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, a few hours after a missile launch by North Korea over Japanese territory. | SATOKO KAWASAKI

By Tomohiro Osaki
Staff Writer

Aug 29, 2017

North Korea's missile launch over Hokkaido on Tuesday overshadowed what was meant to be a symbolic moment of Japan-U.S. solidarity, having come just hours before Air Self-Defense Force anti-missile drills at two U.S. bases in Japan.

The twin deployments, which were demonstrated for the media, took place at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture. They marked the first time ASDF Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) anti-missile systems were deployed and tested at U.S. air bases in Japan.

Lt. Gen. Jerry Martinez, the commander of U.S. Forces Japan, was forced to cancel a joint appearance with his Japanese counterpart to deal with the North Korean situation.