Japan readies defenses for North Korea rocket launch

North Korea already faces a range of U.N. sanctions but many analysts doubt new ones would get past China in the Security Council. China, the nearest Pyongyang has to a powerful ally, has a veto in the council.

North Korea warned that any action by the Security Council to punish it would be a "hostile act."

Japan's constitution does not allow the military to intercept a missile if it is clearly heading elsewhere, but Tokyo would try to shoot down a missile aimed at Japanese territory or intercept any debris.

Japan began deploying its ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile batteries on Friday, with units leaving Iruma air base northwest of Tokyo to be positioned closer to the political and financial centers of the capital, a defense ministry spokesman said.

Japan's two ballistic missile defense ships were also set to leave the southern port of Sasebo on Saturday, Kyodo news agency said, but the ministry spokesman declined to comment.

Washington has said it could with "high probability" intercept any North Korean missile heading for U.S. territory if ordered to do so.

The Taepodong-2 is a two- or three-stage missile with a designed range of 6,700 km (4,160 miles), which means it could hit Alaska. One study says that with a reduced payload it could travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles), which would theoretically put the western U.S. mainland within range.

(Additional reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow and Sue Pleming in Washington; Writing by Linda Sieg; Editing by David Storey)