Current:Home > ScamsJapan signs agreement to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles as US envoy lauds its defense buildup-LoTradeCoin
Japan signs agreement to purchase 400 Tomahawk missiles as US envoy lauds its defense buildup
View Date:2024-12-23 20:08:06
TOKYO (AP) — Japan signed a deal with the United States on Thursday to purchase up to 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of its ongoing military buildup in response to increased regional threats.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government has pledged to double its annual defense spending to around 10 trillion yen ($68 billion) by 2027, which would make Japan the world’s third-biggest military spender after the United States and China.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara announced in December a decision to accelerate deployment of some Tomahawks and Japanese-made Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles beginning in fiscal year 2025, a year before the original plan. The government says Japan is facing its “severest” security environment since World War II because of threats from China and North Korea, causing it to increase military cooperation with the U.S., Australia, Britain and other friendly nations.
In November, the U.S. approved a $2.35 billion sale of two types of Tomahawks — 200 Block IV missiles and 200 upgraded Block V versions. They can be launched from warships and hit targets 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away, officials said.
The signing of the purchase agreement on Thursday was attended by Kihara and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel.
Japan and the United States agreed to expedite the deployment “in response to the increasingly severe security environment,” Kihara said.
Emanuel said training of Japanese servicemembers for the Tomahawks will start in March.
Late last year, Japan’s Cabinet eased a ban on exports of lethal weapons, allowing the sale of Japanese-made weapons and components made under license from other nations to those countries. The government quickly approved a shipment of Japanese-made Patriot missiles to the United States to complement the U.S. inventory.
Japan is accelerating its deployment of long-range cruise missiles capable of hitting targets in China or North Korea, while Japanese troops increasingly work side-by-side with the U.S. and other friendly nations and take on more offensive roles.
At a news conference earlier Thursday marking the end of his second year in Tokyo, Emanuel lauded Japan’s rapid move during that time to build up its military and strengthen its alliance with the U.S. to meet challenges in the region.
Under a new defense strategy adopted in December 2022, Japan has joined the United States, Australia, South Korea and many other regional partners “in an aligned vision of how to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and meet the challenges head on,” Emanuel said.
The U.S. approach to its partnership with Japan is “one of ensuring deterrence” and making sure there is no change in the region by military force, Emanuel said.
“There is a new Japan emerging, a more competent Japan,” he said.
veryGood! (7186)
Related
- Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
- Courtney Williams’ go-to guard play gives Lynx key 3-pointers in Game 1 win
- Rihanna Has the Best Advice on How to Fully Embrace Your Sex Appeal
- Relatives of passengers who died in Boeing Max crashes will face off in court with the company
- Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Lemon quit X, formerly Twitter: 'Time for me to leave'
- Three-time NBA champion Danny Green retires after 15 seasons
- Milton by the numbers: At least 5 dead, at least 12 tornadoes, 3.4M without power
- Martha Stewart admits to cheating on husband in Netflix doc trailer, says he 'never knew'
- Beyoncé course coming to Yale University to examine her legacy
- Gerrit Cole tosses playoff gem, shutting down Royals and sending Yankees back to ALCS with 3-1 win
Ranking
- Women’s baseball players could soon have a league of their own again
- A $20K reward is offered after a sea lion was fatally shot on a California beach
- Three-time NBA champion Danny Green retires after 15 seasons
- The drownings of 2 Navy SEALs were preventable, military investigation finds
- Georgia lawmaker proposes new gun safety policies after school shooting
- Paramore's Hayley Williams Gets Candid on PTSD and Depression for World Mental Health Day
- A $20K reward is offered after a sea lion was fatally shot on a California beach
- WNBA Finals will go to best-of-seven series next year, commissioner says
Recommendation
-
To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says
-
Security guard gets no additional jail time in man’s Detroit-area mall death
-
Milton by the numbers: At least 5 dead, at least 12 tornadoes, 3.4M without power
-
Asylum-seeker to film star: Guinean’s unusual journey highlights France’s arguments over immigration
-
How Kim Kardashian Navigates “Uncomfortable” Situations With Her 4 Kids
-
HISA, Jockeys’ Guild partner with mental-health company to offer jockeys access to care and support
-
How one 8-year-old fan got Taylor Swift's '22' hat at the Eras Tour
-
Anderson Cooper hit by debris during CNN's live Hurricane Milton coverage