Japan and US strike deal on missile assembly as Tokyo expands long-range arsenal

Tokyo has struck a deal to build an assembly line for advanced American air-to-air missiles, while simultaneously exploring missile testing in India and Australia, moves which further mark Japan’s shift away from its post-war pacifist defence posture.Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced late Wednesday that the two allies would construct a final assembly facility in Japan for the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The facility’s location has not been disclosed.Koizumi made the announcement on the sidelines of an annual meeting of Southeast Asian defence chiefs and their Asian and Western counterparts in the Philippines. He said the missiles produced under the project would be essential equipment for Japan’s US-made F-35 fighter jets.