U.S. and Japan to Build Joint Missile Assembly Plant in Japan

The United States and Japan will construct a facility in Japan to jointly produce advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, according to the Japanese defense minister.

Shinjiro Koizumi made the announcement on Wednesday night in Cebu, the central Philippine province where he met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The two officials were attending an annual gathering of Southeast Asian defense leaders and their counterparts from major Asian and Western nations. Koizumi stated that the two countries agreed to build a final assembly and inspection plant for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, known as AMRAAM. The missiles are essential for the F-35 fighter jets used by both militaries. The joint production effort is called Operation Supercharge.

The agreement is the latest step in strengthening the alliance between the two nations, which have expressed concern over China's growing activity in Asia. During a session on Thursday, Koizumi highlighted a specific incident involving Chinese naval vessels. He reported that three Chinese destroyers and a coast guard ship crossed the Osumi Strait south of Kyushu this week. The fleet moved east toward the Pacific Ocean. Koizumi noted that this was the first time his ministry had observed such a configuration. He described the event as an example of the challenging security environment in the region. His ministry intends to monitor Chinese activity closely. Japan has accelerated military buildup in southwestern Japan to deter potential threats from China.

Koizumi said he and Hegseth shared a sense of crisis regarding the regional situation. He stated that they agreed to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the alliance with greater speed and intensity. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open international order based on the rule of law. They expressed opposition to attempts to alter the status quo through force or coercion.

In a separate meeting with ASEAN defense ministers on Wednesday, Hegseth outlined the U.S. approach to regional security. The group was led by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Hegseth described the U.S. strategy as strong, quiet, and clear. He said the approach is strong enough to deter coercion but quiet enough to avoid needless escalation. He added that the message is clear to friends, partners, and potential adversaries regarding where the United States stands. Hegseth did not name China during his remarks to the ASEAN chiefs. He had previously assured the Philippines, Washington's oldest treaty ally in Asia, that the administration would build robust deterrence against aggressive actions in the South China Sea.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles also addressed the regional dynamics. He stated that Australia and its allies will continue efforts to defend the rule of law despite Chinese assertiveness. Marles referenced an incident last year in which a Chinese fighter aircraft released flares and passed within 30 meters of an Australian surveillance jet. He told The Associated Press that the incident did not deter Australia from asserting the rules-based order in the Pacific. He emphasized that freedom of navigation on the high seas is important for Australia.

The South China Sea is a key global trade route with overlapping claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Beijing claims most of the waterway. Confrontations have increased between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed areas. Washington has warned it is obligated to defend the Philippines if its forces come under armed attack. Japan and China also have a separate dispute over islands in the East China Sea, with both sides accusing the other of infringing on maritime territory.

The annual defense meetings aim to avert major regional conflicts and strengthen cooperation. However, the U.S. and China and their allies have often traded criticisms on the sidelines of the events. The next scheduled step in this diplomatic track involves the continued implementation of the missile production agreement in Japan.