Multiple ruling party and government officials, including Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, have voiced support for the acquisition of the Aegis Ashore missile defense system. Anonymous officials cited the greater coverage area and lower cost of the system when asked why Aegis Ashore was preferred over a THAAD battery like the one currently being deployed to South Korea. Defense Minister Inada said after the recent Hwasong-12 test that, “Introducing new interceptor missiles and other equipment will further improve our capability to intercept ballistic missiles, including attacks on a lofted trajectory.”