FILE PHOTO - A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency/Handout via Reuters/File Photo
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is leaning towards choosing the Aegis Ashore missile-defence system over another advanced system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), government and ruling party sources said.
Faced with North Korea's rapid missile and nuclear development, and its threats, Japan has been looking into introducing a new missile-defence layer - either the THAAD or the Aegis Ashore, a land-based version of the Aegis system developed for war ships.
