The country's Defence Ministry has cited four locations in the prefecture -- Naha and Nanjo on Okinawa Island, Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island -- for deploying PAC-3 missile interceptors in response to North Korea's plan to launch the rocket between December 10 and 22.
The missile interceptors arrived at Ishigaki Island yesterday and are scheduled to reach the two other locations on Okinawa Island later, Kyodo reported.
The PAC-3s were deployed at the same Okinawa locations just before North Korea unsuccessfully launched a rocket in April.
Given the North Korean plan for the rocket to take a southern trajectory, it is expected to fly over Okinawa Prefecture.
In addition to the ground-based PAC-3 interceptors, the ministry plans to deploy three Aegis destroyers armed with SM-3 missile interceptors in the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan.
They left Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture this morning.