The United States has announced plans to install radar systems in Palau which is about 1,300 kilometres south-west of Guam, the US Pacific territory that Pyongyang threatened to fire missiles towards earlier this month. <br/><br/>The US move will increase its monitoring ability in the western Pacific region recently rocked by threats from North Korea. In a joint statement, the US Defense Department and the Palau government said they are working to finalise the location of radar towers on the archipelago nation of 22,000 people. <br/><br/>The statement said the radar systems will provide Palau enhanced maritime law enforcement capability while also providing the US with greater air domain awareness for aviation safety and security. While Palau is an independent nation, it has no military and the US is responsible for its defence under an agreement with Washington.