When the North Korean regime last tried to test a long-range missile in 2006, at "about the same time they also launched six other missiles," said General Walter Sharp, commander of US forces in South Korea.

"And we are watching very closely to see what else they will do between the fourth and the eighth April, and that we're prepared for that," Sharp told a Senate hearing, referring to the scheduled North Korean rocket launch.

His comments came amid growing tension on the Korean peninsula as the Pyongyang regime presses ahead with plans to launch a communications satellite that Washington and its allies suspect is likely a test of a long-range ballistic missile.

Echoing previous comments by top military officers, Sharp and the commander for the Pacific region, Admiral Timothy Keating, said they were confident that any North Korean missile threatening US targets could be shot down with anti-missile weaponry.

Asked by Senator Joe Lieberman what the probability was of shooting down a ballistic missile aimed at the United States, Keating said: "We have a high probability, senator."

North Korea has resisted pressure to call off the launch and warned that any attempt to shoot it down would be regarded as an act of war.

Japan, which has been developing a missile defense system with the United States, has warned it is considering re-positioning land- and sea-based interceptor missiles, ready to shoot down any missile headed for its territory.

The US military commanders said that they had enough missile defense weapons, including Patriot missiles, to defend against the potential North Korean threat but said they could use more.

Pyongyang had more than 800 missiles and the United States had 64 Patriot missiles on the Korean peninsula, while South Korea had just purchased an additional 24 Patriots, Sharp said.

"Could we use more? Yes," he said.

The general added that the military was working to ensure the Patriot missiles were positioned "to be able to defend our most critical war-fighting assets."

"But it does leave other areas uncovered, and we could -- both we and the Republic of Korea -- could use more, and we're working hard at that."

It remained unclear whether North Korea was planning to launch a ballistic missile or a satellite, Keating told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I don't believe the intelligence community has information that would specifically rule out either option. It is a missile body that could be used for either," the admiral said.

North Korea state media said Friday the national parliament will convene one day after the period set aside for the rocket launch. It is set to re-elect leader Kim Jong-Il to his post as chairman of the National Defense Commission, the country's most powerful body.

North Korea scheduled its 1998 missile launch for five days before the new assembly convened, in an apparent attempt to extract the maximum political mileage from the event.

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