The United States has offered to provide Japan with up to 80 more Patriot interceptor missiles, sources said.
The Defense Agency plans to take up part of the offer in fiscal 2007 to accelerate the deployment of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile defense system, the sources said Wednesday.
The deal comes a little more than a month after North Korea test-fired several types of missiles toward Japan, including a Taepodong-2, which is theoretically capable of hitting the U.S. The missiles landed harmlessly in the Sea of Japan.