The U.S. State Department has approved Japan's request to acquire up to 1,200 air-to-air missiles of the AIM-120C-8 and AIM-120D-3 types, along with associated equipment, software, spare parts, training missiles, warhead sections, engines, and containers for the missiles themselves.
The potential value of this deal is estimated at $3.64 billion, as announced by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
From Defense Express, we emphasize that this represents a significant volume of potential procurement for air-to-air missiles of the AIM-120 type, which are crucial for the F-16 aircraft and NASAMS air defense systems in the context of Ukraine's military needs.
Prior to this, the largest simultaneous procurement of AIM-120 missiles was considered to be a German order for 969 missiles of this type worth $2.9 billion, which became known in July 2023.
For comparison, it should be noted that in September 2023, Raytheon's management reported that they had reached a production rate of 1,200 AIM-120 missiles per year; however, it's important to clarify that this production primarily meets the needs of the U.S. armed forces and secondarily addresses export contracts and the needs of partner countries within the framework of military assistance (including for Ukraine).
In this context, a simple conclusion can be drawn: the aforementioned order volume from Japan for AMRAAM missiles essentially represents a year of continuous work for all capacities of Raytheon Corporation, which would have to be focused solely on fulfilling this contract, potentially at the expense of other orders.
However, there is a more specific detail in this story: for instance, Defense Mirror reports that the U.S. and Japan are currently discussing the possibility of joint production of AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, aimed in particular at "restoring American arsenals depleted by the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine."
At this point, both parties are still exploring all the technical aspects of potentially organizing AMRAAM production within Japan's defense industry. This itself serves as a specific "signal" that a significant export customer for crucial air-to-air missiles, which are important for Ukraine, now exists, representing a key ally for the U.S. in the Pacific region, especially in light of a potential "great war" against China.