South Korea's military has put two of its three Aegis destroyers on a mission to detect and track North Korea's missile as the communist country appears to be gearing up for a long-range missile launch, a military source said Wednesday.
The North has informed international maritime, aviation and telecommunication agencies that it will launch a rocket to put satellite 'Kwangmyongsong' into orbit, taking a preparatory step to launch a long-range missile.
The outside world denounces the satellite launch as a pretext for testing a ballistic missile, which the North is developing in defiance of the United Nations Security Council.
"The military has increased the number of Aegis destroyers from one to two in preparation against the possibility of North Korea's long-range missile," the military official said.
Now, one is standing by in the Yellow Sea and the other is waiting in the waters south of Jeju Island, the official said.
Special features of the Navy's destroyers equipped with the U.S.-developed Aegis Combat System include a multi-function radar system that can detect ballistic missiles coming from some 1 kilometer away.
It took 54 seconds for the Sejong the Great Aegis destroyer to catch North Korea's long-range missile launched in December 2012.
The locations of the two deployed warships are meant to track the first and second stages of North Korea's multi-stage missile when it is launched.
Along with the destroyers, South Korea has also given a mission to the early warning and control aircraft 'Peace Eye' and the anti-ballistic radar 'Green Pine' as the country is bracing for the missile launch, according to other officials. (Yonhap)