The Japanese Defense Ministry is reportedly considering interception efforts in the event North Korea fires an advanced model of its Daepodong Two long-range ballistic missile toward Japan.

The Sankei Shimbun said Friday the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis-class destroyers would intercept the North’s Daepodong with ballistic missiles of its own. If that effort fails, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force will try to intercept with land-based Patriot missiles.

But Sankei said that in-depth discussions between the Defense Ministry and the prime minister’s office would have to take place before a decision is made on whether to pursue missile intercept operations.

In 2007, Japan equipped two of its Aegis destroyers with surface-to-air missiles and deployed Patriot missiles in four metropolitan areas.