By AFPMore by this AuthorWASHINGTONNorth Korea's latest missile launch over Japan set sirens blaring and triggered alerts telling people to seek shelter — yet neither Tokyo nor Washington tried to shoot the rocket down. The missile, which fell in the Pacific Ocean, represented North Korea's furthest-ever flight. DIRECT THREATThe United States and Japan together claim they can shoot incoming missiles, but officials say Friday's siren-sounding launch didn't meet that threshold. For Japan, these include advanced Patriot batteries, which can stop lower altitude missiles, and SM-3 missiles it is developing with the US that can take out high-flying short-to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. But the Pentagon also wants to develop technologies to take out missiles the moment they leave the launch pad, when they are in their so-called "boost phase".

Source: Daily Nation September 17, 2017 05:15 UTC