As North Korea pushes ahead with its ballistic-missile technology, Japan has decided to introduce another layer to its defense system.
Japanese Defense Ministry officials plan to request a budget for an air defense system known as "Aegis Ashore." The land-based system is capable of intercepting a missile outside the Earth's atmosphere.
Japan already has two layers of missile defense. PAC-3 interceptors are ready to hit missiles within the atmosphere, and Aegis systems are deployed aboard four destroyers that navigate around the clock. There are also plans to increase that to five by the end of the year.
◆push ahead with ～を推し進める
◆ballistic-missile 弾道ミサイル
◆layer 段階、層
◆land-based 地上発射の、地上にある
◆PAC-3 interceptor ＰＡＣ３迎撃ミサイル
◆deploy 配備する
◆around the clock ２４時間態勢（体制）で
