TOKYO, Jul 14 Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida received US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley on Friday and discussed with him the recent launch of an intercontinental missile by North Korea, NHK reported.
«The day before yesterday, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile. The alliance between Japan and the United States is becoming increasingly important. We would like to work together to maintain peace and stability in the region,» Kishida said.
In response, Milley also noted «the growing importance of the US-Japanese alliance as never before.»
«We want to further strengthen our collaboration to implement the principle of a 'free and open Indo-Pacific',» Milley said.
The parties exchanged views on North Korea, China, Russia, and agreed to develop cooperation so that Japan could get the opportunity to strike at enemy bases in the event of a threat to its territory.
North Korea launched its Hwaseongpo-18 intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday. Subsequently, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) confirmed the launch of the Hwaseongpo-18 intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday. The launch was personally led by Chairman of the State Council of the DPRK Kim Jong-un. The tests were reportedly aimed at confirming the technical viability and operational reliability of ICBMs and «did not adversely affect the security of neighboring countries.» The missile flight lasted 74 minutes and became the longest among the ballistic missiles fired by North Korea. The flight range was 1000 kilometers, the maximum flight altitude was more than 6000 kilometers. The missile was fired along a hinged trajectory. The hinged trajectory means a more vertical launch of the rocket, which allows for a shorter flight distance. If the trajectory were standard, the flight range would be about 15 thousand kilometers, which would allow reaching any point in the United States.