On September 20, the Japanese Defense Ministry relocated Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) surface-to-air missile interceptors on the northern island of Hokkaido to an air defense base close to the flight paths of recent North Korean ballistic missile tests. The PAC-3 was transported to the southern city of Hakodate on the Oshima Peninsula from a base approximately 70 km northeast in Yakumo. Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the relocation was, “to make every effort possible to protect the people’s safety,” in event of an emergency.