Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed to bolster alliance capabilities to counter coercion and unilateral attempts to alter the regional status quo. The newly planned facility in Japan will produce essential air-to-air missiles tailored for US-built F-35 fighter jets. On the sidelines of the Cebu conference, Hegseth also met with Southeast Asian defense ministers to reaffirm deterrence commitments. These coordinated diplomatic and defense moves unfold against the backdrop of persistent Chinese maritime friction with both the Philippines and Japan.
Key points
Washington and Tokyo are accelerating joint weapons production to bolster allied deterren…: Washington and Tokyo are accelerating joint weapons production to bolster allied deterrence against escalating regional security threats.
Bilateral defense cooperation is increasingly focused on supplying critical munitions nee…: Bilateral defense cooperation is increasingly focused on supplying critical munitions needed to sustain modern fifth-generation fighter jet operations.
The defense partnership expands amid heightened maritime friction involving China in both…: The defense partnership expands amid heightened maritime friction involving China in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea.
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CEBU, Philippines: The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a Japanese facility for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, the Japanese defense chief said late on Wednesday (Oct 28).
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi made the announcement in a news conference Wednesday night in the central province of Cebu, where he met US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an annual meeting of Southeast Asian defence chiefs and their major Asian and Western counterparts.
The annual meetings aim to avert a major regional conflict and strengthen defence cooperation. On the sidelines of the meetings, however, the US and China and their allies have often traded criticisms.
The missiles that will be produced as part of a joint effort called “Operation Supercharge" are “essential for the F-35,” Koizumi said, without elaborating or providing other details of the agreement. The US-made F-35 fighter jets are one of the world’s most advanced aircraft and are also used by the Japanese military.
During his brief meeting with Hegseth in Cebu, Koizumi said he "shared a sense of crisis…
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