Japan and US launch joint missile production plan in Cebu

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi agreed to build a joint missile production facility in Japan. The announcement came late Wednesday night in Cebu, Philippines, during a series of regional defense meetings. The new plant will manufacture advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles under a project named Operation Supercharge.

Koizumi stated that the missiles are essential equipment for the F-35 fighter jet. The U.S.-made aircraft is among the most advanced in the world and is already part of the Japanese military inventory. The ministers did not provide specific financial figures or production targets during the news conference.

The agreement follows a brief bilateral meeting between the two defense chiefs on the sidelines of the annual gathering of Southeast Asian defense leaders. Koizumi said the pair shared a sense of crisis regarding the severe regional situation. He noted that they agreed to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the U.S.-Japan alliance with greater speed and intensity.

In his remarks, Koizumi reaffirmed the importance of a free and open international order based on the rule of law. He emphasized the rejection of any attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo through force or coercion. He added that their discussions were not directed at any specific country, despite the long-standing alarms both nations have expressed over China's actions in Asia.

Hegseth addressed ASEAN defense ministers in a separate session on Wednesday. The group was led by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Hegseth described the U.S. approach as strong, quiet, and clear. He said the strategy is strong enough to deter coercion and quiet enough to avoid needless escalation or public theatrics.

The U.S. secretary assured the Philippines, Washington's oldest treaty ally in Asia, that the Trump administration will build robust deterrence against aggressive actions in the South China Sea. Beijing claims the busy waterway, a key global trade route, virtually in its entirety. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the area.

Confrontations have escalated between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed shoals and outlying waters. Washington has warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces come under an armed attack in the region. Beijing and Tokyo also maintain a separate dispute over tiny Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea.