Pyongyang’s ballistic missile test in April 2012 raised tensions in the region. The US, South-Korea and Japan all put their missile defence systems on high alert. Japan even positioned PAC-3 systems in the heart of Tokyo. However, as a subject matter expert at HCSS points out, the amount of tall buildings in the vicinity “of the line of fire of the PAC-3 launch station, can negatively impact operational effectiveness”. This raises the question: ‘What was the true reason behind the mission?’. Was it deployed as actual defence, or was it merely an attempt at grandstanding?
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