Missile Production: US and Japan to Build Joint AMRAAM Plant

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced on Wednesday night that the United States and Japan will build a joint facility in Japan to produce Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles. The agreement, part of an initiative called Operation Supercharge, aims to increase the production capacity of these missiles, which are essential for the F-35 fighter jets used by both nations' militaries.

The announcement came during a news conference in Cebu, central Philippines, where Koizumi met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The two officials are attending the annual meeting of Southeast Asian defense chiefs and their major Asian and Western counterparts. Koizumi stated that the allies share a sense of crisis regarding the increasingly severe regional situation. He said they agreed to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance with greater speed and intensity than before.

In a separate session on Thursday, Koizumi expressed concern over recent Chinese naval activity in southwestern Japan. He reported that three Chinese destroyers and a coast guard ship crossed the Osumi Strait south of Kyushu and headed east to the Pacific Ocean this week. Koizumi noted that his ministry had not previously spotted such a fleet configuration in that area. He described the incident as an example illustrating the challenging security environment in the region and said his ministry will continue to monitor Chinese activity closely.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed ASEAN defense ministers, who were led by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Hegseth reaffirmed the Trump administration's commitment to helping deter aggression in the region. He described the U.S. approach as strong, quiet, and clear. Hegseth said the strategy is strong enough to deter coercion and aggression, yet quiet enough to avoid needless escalation or public theatrics. He added that the message is clear enough for friends, partners, and potential adversaries to understand precisely where the United States stands.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles also spoke in Cebu, stating that his country's forces will continue efforts to defend the rule of law despite increasing Chinese assertiveness. He referenced an incident last year where a Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft released flares and passed within 30 meters of an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance jet over disputed waters in the South China Sea. Marles said that such events do not deter Australia from asserting the rules-based order in the Pacific. He emphasized that freedom of navigation on the high seas is profoundly important for Australia.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, all ASEAN member states, along with Taiwan, have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Washington has stated that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces, ships, and aircraft come under armed attack in the area. Beijing and Tokyo also maintain a separate dispute over Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea, with both sides frequently accusing each other of infringing on their maritime territory.