The United States and Japan agreed to jointly produce air-to-air missiles in Japan
Japan and the United States agreed to establish a plant in Japan for final assembly and inspection of AMRAAM air-to-air missiles under “Operation Supercharge.” Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said after meeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the allies shared a sense of crisis and agreed to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities with greater speed and intensity.
More context
The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a facility in Japan to jointly produce advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Wednesday. The agreement calls for a final assembly and inspection plant for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, under a joint effort named “Operation Supercharge.” Koizumi made the announcement at a news conference in Cebu, Philippines, after meeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an annual gathering of Southeast Asian defense chiefs and their major Asian and Western counterparts.
Koizumi said the missiles are essential for F-35 fighter jets, which are operated by the U.S. and Japanese militaries. He said he and Hegseth shared a sense of crisis over the increasingly severe regional situation and agreed to strengthen the alliance’s deterrence and response capabilities with greater speed and intensity.
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Reporting
- National Public Radio — US and Japan agree to establish a Japanese facility for joint missile production : NPR
- Ottumwa Courier — US and Japan agree to establish a Japanese facility for joint missile production | National News | ottumwacourier.com
- ABC News — US and Japan agree to establish missile-production facility - ABC News
- Killeen Daily Herald — US and Japan agree to establish a Japanese facility for joint missile production
- WSLS 10 News — US and Japan, long alarmed by China's aggression, agree to establish missile-production facility
- The Independent — United States and Japan forge missile production alliance to counter China's power
Verifier’s note
NPR, Ottumwa Courier, ABC News, KDH News, and WSLS report the U.S.-Japan agreement to establish a Japanese facility for joint AMRAAM production, and The Independent separately reports the facility plan. These reports confirm the proposed event on October 29, 2026.