We asked Maki Yamashita, a former Marine Admiral of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, about North Korea's missile launch.

What is the purpose of this missile launch?

Technology should be the point of view for analysis.



I think that development has continued until now, but the first point is how to understand the situation of flying over Japan for the first time in five years in terms of technological progress.



The second is the message.



After all, there must be some kind of political message about taking such action, so I think that it is necessary to thoroughly analyze it.

Where do you focus on your technical capabilities?

So far, we've been trying to launch short-range missiles, or medium-range missiles on a lofted trajectory, but even though it's been five years since we've been developing, the result is what we've been developing. It has reached the point where it will cross over Japan and land in the Pacific Ocean.



I believe that it is necessary to fully grasp the development status, including what the missiles that were launched this time were.



Although it is outside Japan's EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), I think they may have flown or launched with confidence.



In terms of shooting such missiles, they analyze the missiles themselves, so I think they are able to take a solid view of that sort of thing. When I think about it, I also feel that there is something extremely remarkable about technological progress.

What external message?

Judging from the fact that they are firing missiles at the same time as the U.S.-ROK joint military exercises and the Japan-U.S.-ROK exercises, I think there is a direct message to that effect.



However, in addition to that, since this is the first long-range missile launch in five years, I think they were looking at the timing to continue testing and development related to missile launches in the future.



I think it's possible to say that this time, they have a good opportunity and are showing a willingness to do it.

How advanced is North Korea's technology?

It's clearly progressing.



Even with missiles that land in the Sea of ​​Japan, they are also developing their technological capabilities, including technology that makes the trajectory invisible, not just launching.



However, in the future, when it comes to launching missiles at the United States, we want to see how far we have the technology to fly them, which is different from what we have done so far. It can be seen that there is no.