Japan plans to conduct military exercises to defend Tokyo from a missile attack, according to a Japanese newspaper.
The maneuvers will be carried out at several sites around Japan's capital based on the US-developed Patriot PAC-3 missile system, the Nikkei business newspaper reported.
No missiles will actually be fired, it said.
Rather, the drill will assess the best way to move the PAC-3s around the city, test air tracking systems and identify buildings and topographic features that present obstacles to the deployment.
Japan and the United States held a regional ballistic missile defense drill in July, with another round of maneuvers scheduled for November.
It is not clear if the PAC-3 drill will be conducted as part of the joint November exercises.
In 2006 Japan and the US jointly developed an advanced missile defense system. Japan deployed its first Patriot missiles earlier this year, and plans to introduce SM-3 interceptors on its destroyers in the next few years, starting this December.
Meanwhile, Russia is concerned that the Japanese-US missile defense plan could be an effort to preserve military superiority, Moscow's foreign minister said in a news interview published on Saturday.
"We oppose the construction of missile defense systems whose purpose is to ensure military superiority," Sergey Lavrov said, ahead of his visit to Japan later this month.
Questions:
1. What is the name of the missile being tested?
2. When did Japan expect to introduce their SM-3 interceptors?
3. Russia's foreign minister is concerned the US-Japan tests is an effort to what?
Answers:
1. The Patriot PAC-3 missile system.
2. This December.
3. Preserve military superiority.
（英语点津 Linda 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Marc Checkley is a freelance journalist and media producer from Auckland, New Zealand. Marc has had an eclectic career in the media/arts, most recently working as a radio journalist for NewstalkZB, New Zealand’s leading news radio network, as a feature writer for Travel Inc, New Nutrition Business (UK) and contributor for Mana Magazine and the Sunday Star Times. Marc is also a passionate arts educator and is involved in various media/theatre projects in his native New Zealand and Singapore where he is currently based. Marc joins the China Daily with support from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
