US, Japan agree to establish missile production facility under 'Operation Supercharge'

Washington DC [US], October 30 (ANI): The United States and Japan have reportedly reached an agreement to establish a facility in Japan for the final assembly and check-out of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs), as the two allies move to strengthen defence industrial cooperation amid growing regional security concerns.
The agreement is part of a joint defence production effort called 'Operation Supercharge', according to a post shared by the US House of Representatives Select Committee on China on X on Thursday (local time).

The United States and Japan have reportedly reached an agreement for a new facility in Japan to produce advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles as part of a joint defense production effort called “Operation Supercharge." Chairman @RepMoolenaar made the following statement: https://t.co/4SnxlVkkiF

In the statement shared alongside the post, Chairman of the Select Committee on China, US Representative John Moolenaar, welcomed the agreement, saying that the United States and its allies and partners in the Pacific must deepen defence cooperation to ensure peace and protect freedom of navigation and the rule of law in the region.
"America and its allies and partners in the Pacific agree that we must deepen defense cooperation to ensure peace and protect freedom of navigation and rule of law in the region. The Chinese Communist Party’s aggression toward its neighbors must be taken seriously and Secretary Hegseth and the Trump Administration deserve significant credit for shepherding this agreement across the finish line," Moolenaar said.
He further stressed the importance of securing critical supply chains and rebuilding the defence industrial base to ensure that the United States and its allies have the resources required to counter what he termed aggression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
"Expanding our defense alliance with Japan sends a clear message on where U.S. policy stands to protect our interests and our national security," he added.
The development comes as, according to The Japan Times, Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also agreed to expand defence industrial cooperation, including plans to increase production of SM-3 Block IIA missiles.
The two defence chiefs announced the agreement on the AMRAAM facility during their meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) defence chiefs' summit on Wednesday, held on the Philippine island of Cebu.
The missile production agreement comes as the United States has seen a significant depletion of its missile arsenals amid its ongoing war against Iran. Analysts have also pointed to a decline in its stockpile of SM-3 interceptors, as per the Japan Times. 
In another statement, Hegseth highlighted the US-Japan alliance as "indispensable". Both defence chiefs underscored the importance of increased defence investment and continued strategic alignment to strengthen deterrence and implement an effective denial defence in the First Island Chain, stretching from Japan to Borneo.
In a post on X, Hegseth said the discussions had focused on advancing a "shared vision of peace through strength".
"Our strategic alignment is essential to building a credible denial defense — supported by increased investment, greater access, more realistic training, and stronger production of the munitions our forces need," he said. 

I met with Japan’s Minister of Defense Shinjirō Koizumi @shinjirokoiz to advance our shared vision of peace through strength. Our strategic alignment is essential to building a credible denial defense—supported by increased investment, greater access, more realistic training, and stronger production of the munitions our forces need.

The meeting also came shortly before the conclusion of the large-scale Keen Sword joint military exercises conducted by the United States and Japan, which focused on the southwestern islands near Japan's Okinawa Prefecture.
The two sides agreed to move forward with greater urgency on more advanced and realistic joint training exercises, including additional live-fire drills. The exercises are also expected to involve flexible use of facilities such as airports and seaports to practise more distributed military operations.
The developments come amid increased Chinese military activities in the region and around Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Koizumi and Hegseth also agreed to closely coordinate and respond to all contingencies, taking into account neighbouring countries' expansion in the quality and quantity of military capabilities and their intensifying military activities, according to the Japanese Defence Ministry.
The two defence chiefs also discussed cooperation to prevent cyberattacks, following a series of cyber incidents and data breaches affecting millions of people in Japan, as per the Japan Times. 
The Japanese Defence Ministry said both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and coordination to prevent malicious cyber activities, including large-scale leaks of personal information, from seriously affecting citizens' lives, economic activities and the security of both countries. (ANI)