What Happened
Pentagon And Tokyo Strengthen Defense Ties With Missile Production
The US and Japan have finalized an agreement to establish a production facility in Japan for the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, following a $20.7 billion Pentagon contract to expand production of the missile. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the agreement, stating it will strengthen Japan’s defense industry base. The facility’s location has not been announced, and the approval process took over two years due to Japan’s constitutional restrictions on exporting lethal weapons. This development was first reported by an unknown source.