REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON -- The United States has sent a second missile defense radar system to Japan, the Pentagon said Friday.

The new Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance system (AN/TPY-2) aims to "enhance sensor coverage for ballistic missile defense of Japan and the US homeland," the Defense Department said in a statement.

The United States has said it wanted its allies to enhance their missile defenses to help protect against a belligerent North Korea.

North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program is a major security concern in the Pacific region and beyond.