Japan and US agree to build joint air-to-air missile plant in Japan
October 29, 2026 at 10:56 AM
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced an agreement with the United States to construct a joint factory in Japan producing advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles.
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Koizumi announced the deal at a press conference in Cebu, Philippines, following a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN defense ministers gathering.
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Koizumi said the missiles will be produced under a joint initiative named "Operation Super Charge" and are necessary for US-built F-35 fighters, which the Japanese military also operates.
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Koizumi said he conveyed a "shared sense of crisis" over the regional situation and that the two sides agreed to strengthen the Japan-US alliance's deterrence and response "with greater speed and intensity than ever before."