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TOKYO, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan deployed Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile interceptors on Saturday in four western prefectures, local media reported.
The surface-to-air missile interceptors were deployed in Shimane, Hiroshima, Ehime and Kochi prefectures, where normally no PAC-3 units are stationed.
The Japanese government said the deployment was aimed at preparing for the possibility that missiles, if they are fired by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), fail as they fly over Japan.
Local media said that Japan has deployed Aegis destroyers in the Sea of Japan for shooting down airborne missiles, and the PAC-3 systems are used to counter missiles that evade Aegis interceptors.
