Japan Removes Missile Interception Systems, Citing Eased Tensions With North Korea

Vice President Mike Pence (top C), accompanied by Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, looks out over a PAC-3 surface-to-air missile system during a visit to the Defence Ministry in Tokyo on Feb. 7, 2018. Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images

Japan’s Defense Ministry announced the removal of four missile interception systems, citing eased tensions with North Korea.

The ministry said that the communist country is unlikely to stage a ballistic missile blitz, meaning Japan no longer needs the units in place.