The chief of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency urged Japan on Friday to introduce a U.S.-developed missile defense system at an early date.

In a meeting with Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish was quoted by an agency official as saying Japan has a lot to benefit from introducing a "layered defense" combining the ground-based PAC-3 system and a sea-based missile defense shield.

PAC-3, an updated version of the Patriot system, is designed to shoot down shorter-range missiles shortly before they hit their targets, while the sea-based system to be deployed aboard Aegis-equipped warships aims to intercept missiles before they re-enter Earth's atmosphere.