US and Japan agree to joint missile production in the Philippines
The allies will build a Japanese facility to produce advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles for F-35 jets.
KEY POINTS
- US and Japan agreed to joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles
- The facility will be located in Japan
- Shinjiro Koizumi announced the deal in Cebu, Philippines
- The project is called Operation Supercharge and supports F-35 jets
- Both allies expressed concern over China's regional aggression without naming the country
The United States and Japan have agreed to create a Japanese facility for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the deal late Wednesday during a news conference in Cebu, Philippines.
Koizumi met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an annual gathering of Southeast Asian defense chiefs and their major Asian and Western counterparts. The meetings aim to prevent a major regional conflict and strengthen defense cooperation.
“The approach we're taking, we describe as strong, quiet and clear.”
The missiles will be produced under a joint effort called Operation Supercharge and are described as essential for the F-35 fighter jet. Koizumi did not provide further details about the agreement.
Koizumi said the allies shared a sense of crisis over the increasingly severe regional situation and agreed to strengthen Japan-U.S. deterrence and response capabilities with greater speed and intensity. He added that the discussions were not directed at any specific country.
Hegseth separately met ASEAN defense ministers, led by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and renewed the Trump administration's commitment to help deter regional aggression. He described the U.S. approach as strong, quiet and clear.
Both allies have repeatedly expressed alarm over China's growing aggression in Asia, though neither official named China during their public remarks.
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