Reports indicated that Japan may order its military to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it threatens to hit the country1. There were also indications that Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) Aegis guided-missile destroyers were headed for the Sea of Japan to intercept the DPRK’s rocket in case it falls onto Japanese territory2.

• 1. “Japan readies NKorea rocket launch response,” Associated Foreign Press, March 25, 2009, at http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090325/wl_afp/nkoreajapanmissiledefencepol...
• 2. “Japan's guided-missile destroyers head for Sea of Japan ahead of DPRK's rocket launch,” Xinhua, March 28, 2009, at http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/28/content_11087716.htm