Trump Approves First Missiles for Japan’s F-35 Jets, Deliveries Start This Week
US President Donald Trump said he has greenlit the first batch of missiles for Japan’s F-35 fighter jets, confirming the weapons will arrive this week, earlier than planned.
The shipment, which includes AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, is expected to strengthen the Japan Self-Defense Force’s air capabilities as tensions remain high in the Indo-Pacific, particularly with China and North Korea.
Speaking aboard the USS George Washington nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at Yokosuka Naval Base, Kanagawa Prefecture, Trump emphasized that the delivery marks a new milestone in the defense partnership between Washington and Tokyo.
“I’m delighted to report that I’ve just approved the first batch of missiles,” Anadolu Ajansı quoted him as saying. “They’ll arrive this week, so they’re ahead of schedule.”
US-Japan Alliance Steps Up
Trump made the announcement during his Asia trip, which includes stops in Malaysia and an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The visit also followed a new US-Japan deal on rare earth minerals, key materials used in weapons, aircraft, and electronics.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan will keep reinforcing its defense forces and take a bigger role in maintaining regional peace, according to Fox News.
Takaichi then called the aircraft carrier a “symbol of protecting freedom and peace” and vowed to continue the vision of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
She also promised to boost Japan’s defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product two years earlier than planned.
Trump praised Japan’s efforts, calling the US-Japan alliance “one of the most remarkable relationships in the entire world.”
‘We’re Going to Win’
Trump used his speech in Japan to highlight American military dominance, telling troops that the US remains unmatched.
“From now on, if we’re in a war, we’re going to win the war. We’re going to win it like nobody ever before,” he said.
He credited American troops as the key to that power. “If you don’t have the right people to operate those weapons, they don’t mean much,” he added.
The visit underscored Washington’s ongoing commitment to Japan, which hosts more than 50,000 US troops under a long-standing defense pact.
