Japan Readies Missile Units Ahead of NKorea Launch Japan's defense minister on Tuesday ordered interceptor missile units to prepare for North Korea's rocket launch next month. The "Unha-3" rocket is expected to fly over western Japan after it is launched from a pad on North Korea's west coast between April 14-16. "We must be fully prepared to protect the safety of our nation," Naoki Tanaka said after issuing the order at a meeting military commanders. Officials have said Japan is likely to send three AEGIS-equipped destroyers to the Pacific and East China Sea and deploy mobile Patriot missile launchers to islands in Okinawa. An interceptor missile unit is also likely to be deployed in Tokyo, although the capital is well away from the expected flight path. Seoul has also warned it might shoot down any parts of the North Korean rocket that pass over South Korean territory.