U.S. and Japan Agree on AMRAAM Missile Assembly Plant Under Operation Supercharge

Washington, October 30 (Daily Kiran) : The United States and Japan have reached an agreement to establish an AMRAAM missile assembly plant in Japan as part of ‘Operation Supercharge.’ This move has been hailed by Tokyo as a transformative step for missile production among allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the deal during a press conference in Cebu, Philippines, following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.

Koizumi stated, “We have finally agreed to establish a final assembly and inspection facility for the AMRAAM air-to-air missile in Japan. This missile is crucial for the F-35 aircraft. It is a landmark agreement that will not only ensure the availability of necessary equipment for both Japan and the U.S. but also strengthen Japan’s defense industrial base.”

Additionally, Koizumi revealed that both nations agreed to share essential technical information to enhance the production of the SM-3 Block IIA, a ship-based ballistic missile interceptor developed collaboratively.

According to Japan’s Defense Ministry, these initiatives are part of ‘Operation Supercharge.’ Koizumi initially proposed this during a meeting with Hegseth in Singapore on May 30, aiming to accelerate bilateral efforts in the joint development and production of missiles like the SM-3 Block IIA and AMRAAM.

The Pentagon’s statement regarding the meeting did not mention the AMRAAM facility but noted that Hegseth welcomed Japan’s efforts to bolster its defense industrial capacity. Both leaders committed to maintaining close coordination on the production of critical weapons.

The statement also highlighted discussions on increasing investment, access, and presence in the defense sector, practical training including live-fire exercises, and distributed operations for defense in the ‘first island chain.’

Koizumi did not provide details on Japanese industrial partners, the location of the plant, the timeline, or potential production capacity. The AMRAAM missile, developed by RTX’s Raytheon, can be launched from F-35 fighter jets and ground-based air defense systems. In September, the Pentagon awarded Raytheon a multi-year AMRAAM contract potentially worth up to $20.7 billion, mandating the production of at least 1,900 missiles annually under a prior agreement.

This upcoming plant in Japan represents a new effort by the U.S. to bolster joint weapon production in the Indo-Pacific, amidst growing concerns over China’s expanding military capabilities. In their May meeting, Koizumi and Hegseth also discussed collaboration with Australia, South Korea, and the Philippines.

In recent years, Japan has relaxed its export regulations concerning defense equipment. Koizumi had previously informed Hegseth about these changes in May.