The United States and Japan have reached an agreement to build a manufacturing facility in Japan for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced Wednesday night in Cebu, Philippines. The facility will serve as a final assembly and inspection plant for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, which is essential for F-35 fighter jets used by both nations’ militaries. The partnership has been designated “Operation Supercharge.”
Koizumi made the announcement following a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of an annual gathering of Southeast Asian defense ministers and their counterparts from major Asian and Western powers. During their bilateral meeting, the two defense officials discussed security concerns in the region and committed to strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of their alliance. Both officials emphasized their dedication to preserving a free and open international order based on the rule of law that rejects unilateral attempts to alter the status quo through force or coercion.
The agreement comes amid heightened regional tensions, which Koizumi highlighted by citing recent Chinese naval activity near Japan. He noted that three Chinese destroyers and a coast guard vessel crossed the Osumi Strait south of Kyushu and proceeded eastward into the Pacific Ocean this week, representing the first such fleet configuration Japan’s defense ministry has recorded. Japan has been accelerating military expansion in southwestern regions in response to Chinese activities.
Hegseth conveyed the Trump administration’s renewed commitment to deterring aggression in the region during separate meetings with ASEAN defense ministers. He described the American approach as “strong, quiet and clear,” designed to deter coercion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles also reiterated his country’s commitment to defending the rules-based international order in the Pacific, referencing previous confrontations with Chinese military aircraft over disputed waters.
The broader context includes ongoing disputes in the South China Sea, where multiple nations maintain overlapping territorial claims, and separate tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea. The annual regional defense meetings aim to prevent major conflicts and strengthen defense cooperation among allied nations.
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