TOKYO, Jan 15: Japan on Tuesday carried out studies to deploy a missile defence shield in central Tokyo, officials said Tuesday, amid concern that the capital is at risk from North Korea.

The defence ministry conducted investigations on Monday and Tuesday into two locations for US-developed Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) surface-to-air interceptors, a defence spokesman said.

Two PAC-3 units were installed in suburban Tokyo last March as Japan’s relations remained tense with nuclear-armed North Korea.

“We took surveys of buildings, which would be obstacles for the PAC-3, and conducted technical tests on communications,” the spokesman said.

The sites looked at were Shinjuku Gyoen, a major park in central Tokyo, and the Ichigaya military post on the premises of the defence ministry headquarters, he aid.

“We plan to do more investigations on other sites to seek places that the PAC-3 mobile system can be moved into,” he said.

No date has been set for installation of the PAC-3 in central Tokyo. Japan has set a goal of establishing the system at 11 bases by March 2011.

Japan’s first Patriot missiles were set up by US forces in 2006 on the southern island of Okinawa.

Japan also plans to conduct a missile test-launch in the US state of New Mexico later this year, he said.—AFP