US and Japan to build AMRAAM missile plant in Japan

Three Chinese destroyers and a coast guard ship crossed the Osumi Strait south of Kyushu this week, a fleet configuration that marked a new development in regional naval activity. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi cited the incident during a news conference in Cebu, Philippines, on Wednesday night. The event occurred as Koizumi met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an annual defense meeting in the central Philippine province.

The two officials announced an agreement to establish a final assembly and inspection plant in Japan for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, known as AMRAAM. This joint production effort, dubbed Operation Supercharge, aims to bolster the allies' capacity to arm F-35 fighter jets. Koizumi stated that the missiles are essential for the aircraft, which are used by both the Japanese and U.S. militaries.

Koizumi described the security environment as challenging, using the recent Chinese naval transit as an example. He said his ministry would monitor such activity with a high level of interest. Japan has been accelerating its military buildup in southwestern Japan to deter China, according to the minister. The annual meetings in Cebu aim to prevent major regional conflict and strengthen defense cooperation among Southeast Asian nations and their counterparts.

In a separate session on Thursday, Koizumi emphasized the need to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities with greater speed and intensity. He said he and Hegseth shared a sense of crisis regarding the regional situation. The Japanese minister noted that they reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open international order based on the rule of law, rejecting attempts to change the status quo through force or coercion.

Hegseth addressed ASEAN defense ministers, led by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., on Wednesday. He outlined the U.S. approach as strong, quiet, and clear. The strategy is designed to deter aggression without causing needless escalation. Hegseth stated that the message is clear to friends, partners, and potential adversaries regarding U.S. interests and those of its allies.

The U.S. has assured the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, that it will build deterrence against China's actions in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the waterway, a key global trade route. Australia also reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rules-based order in the Pacific. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said his country and allies will continue to assert freedom of navigation despite increasing assertiveness from China.

Disputes over maritime territory persist in the region. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan all have overlapping claims in the South China Sea. Confrontations have escalated between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed areas. Washington has warned it is obligated to defend the Philippines if its forces come under armed attack. Meanwhile, Beijing and Tokyo maintain a separate dispute over small Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea.