US approves $3.64bln sale of missiles to Japan: US State Dept.
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Japan has been boosting its military defenses, requesting and purchasing thousands of missiles worth billions.
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, center with a protective mask, is guided to inspect a PAC-3 interceptor missile system at Iruma Air Base in Sayama, northwest of Tokyo, January 31, 2023. (AP)
According to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the US State Department has approved Friday a potential $3.64 billion sale of advanced AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 air-to-air missiles, and related equipment to Japan.
"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan of AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.64 billion," the agency announced in a statement on Thursday.
Japan has reportedly requested 1,200 AIM-120 missiles as part of this potential deal. The statement added that the sale aims to strengthen Japan’s capabilities to address current and future threats while advancing US foreign policy and security objectives.
Read more: Japan proposes record defense budget worth $58.5Bln for 2025
Japan, US plan missile deployment for Taiwan contingency initiative
In late November, Japan's Kyodo News reported that Japan and the US were set to finalize a joint military plan by December to address a potential Taiwan contingency initiative.
The plan involves deploying US missile units to strategic locations in Japan and the Philippines, a move likely to further escalate tensions with Beijing.
Under the proposed plan, missile units will be stationed on Japan's Nansei Islands, specifically in the southwestern prefectures of Kagoshima and Okinawa, as well as in the Philippines.
The US Marine Corps Marine Littoral Regiment, equipped with High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and other advanced weaponry, is set to play a key role in these strategic locations.
