Explainer: US, Asian allies launch system to track North Korea missiles in real-time
South Korea, the United States and Japan said on Tuesday they have activated a new system to detect and assess North Korea's missile launches in real-time.
The announcement comes after North Korea said it had tested the isolated state's newest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Monday to gauge the war readiness of its nuclear force against mounting U.S. hostility.
Here is what we know about the new missile warning data sharing system:
WHAT INFORMATION IS BEING SHARED?
Under the new mechanism, the three countries will share information on the launch site, flight trajectory and hitting point of North Korean missiles around the clock, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said.
The United States had until now shared such information separately with South Korea and Japan.
«We will have warning data on North Korean missiles much faster, and be able to secure enough time to respond effectively,» Shin said in an interview with broadcaster MBN on Monday.
WHY IS IT BEING SHARED?
Washington and its allies call the new mechanism a milestone that will advance their trilateral security cooperation and improve the ability to ensure the safety of their people.
The information sharing is expected to help them to respond more quickly to North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.
Monday's missile launch marked the North's fifth ICBM test this year in what Pyongyang described as a demonstration of the nuclear-armed state's «will for toughest counteraction and its overwhelming strength.»
«This is a significant expression of just how far trilateral cooperation has come, in no small part due to the growing threat from North Korea,» said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for
