US State Department approves potential sale of missiles to Japan

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Japan for an estimated cost of $293 million, the Pentagon said on July 25, according to Reuters.

It is expected that the rockets produced by the aerospace company Raytheon Technologies, will be installed on F-35 fighter jets. The deal may be completed as part of the modernization of the Japanese Air Force, which has been discussed since November 2021.

In June, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) increased spending on national defence as one of the key points of its election program.