US approves $3.6 billion advanced missile sale to Japan

The United States on Friday approved a $3.6 billion deal to sell up to 1,200 advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Japan, a key ally in Asia.

Japan has strengthened its defence strategy in response to China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific, including around disputed territories. In recent years, Tokyo has significantly increased military spending and moved beyond its traditional self-defence policy.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region,” the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

Tensions have risen over incidents such as a Chinese military plane entering Japanese airspace earlier this year and a Chinese survey vessel sailing into Japan’s territorial waters during the summer. These actions have prompted closer security cooperation between Japan and the United States.

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“The proposed sale will improve Japan’s capability to meet current and future threats by defending its homeland and US personnel stationed there,” it said, adding that “Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”

The State Department approved the possible sale and the DSCA on Friday provided the required notification to Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.

With inputs from agencies.