United States and Japan to establish AMRAAM missile assembly line

The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a final assembly and testing facility for AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. Announced by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi following meetings with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the initiative is part of the Operation Supercharge defense cooperation program.

The new facility aims to bolster the production capacity for both American and Japanese armed forces while strengthening Japan's domestic defense industry. While the agreement focuses on final assembly and testing rather than full domestic manufacturing, it adds a critical link to the supply chain as Washington seeks to increase AMRAAM production. This follows a recent multi-year contract awarded to Raytheon, an RTX subsidiary, worth up to $20.7 billion.

Additionally, the two nations have agreed to exchange technical information to increase the production of SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missiles.