The U.S. Navy has sent an advanced radar to the Pacific Ocean in preparation for North Korea’s planned launch of its Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite.

CNN reported Friday that the Navy dispatched the Sea Based X-Band Radar-1 (SBX) from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on March 23rd.

The radar sits on a floating platform and has the ability to seek or target objects and can communicate with missile interceptors at air force bases in Alaska and California. It can track objects from hundreds of miles away and doesn't need to be close to North Korea to operate.

It’s not yet known whether the radar will be put to use, since Pyongyang plans to fire the missile south.

A U.S. Navy official who requested anonymity said the radar was for preventative measures. The official wouldn't confirm if it was related to North Korea’s planned missile launch.