Japan and US strike deal on missile assembly as Tokyo expands long-range arsenal
Agreement on AMRAAM assembly follows announcement that Japan plans to conduct missile training exercises in India
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced late Wednesday that the two allies would construct a final assembly facility in Japan for the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The facility’s location has not been disclosed.
Koizumi made the announcement on the sidelines of an annual meeting of Southeast Asian defence chiefs and their Asian and Western counterparts in the Philippines. He said the missiles produced under the project would be essential equipment for Japan’s US-made F-35 fighter jets.
