Politics · World News Bureau

Japan builds the missile line: Tokyo becomes the alliance's arsenal

Japan and the United States have agreed to assemble and test F-35 air-to-air missiles in Japan. The deal fits Tokyo's new 'denial' doctrine, and hands Beijing a talking point.

LSN World News · 29 October 2026

Japan builds the missile line: Tokyo becomes the alliance's arsenal

<p><em>Special Reporting from LSN News, adapted from today's Power Play Asia episode. <a href="https://youtu.be/WCxkkwMUyoM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the video on YouTube.</a></em></p>

<p>The most consequential deal at the ASEAN defence meetings in Cebu this week was not made at the conference table. Late on Wednesday, Japan's Defence Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, said Japan and the United States would set up a facility in Japan to assemble and test the American air-to-air missile that arms the F-35. The move raises a larger question: is Tokyo becoming the arsenal of the alliance in Asia, and what can Beijing do about it?</p>

<p>Koizumi met US War Secretary Pete Hegseth for about 30 minutes on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, Nikkei reports. The two agreed to set up a final assembly and inspection facility in Japan for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, Jiji Press reports. Koizumi said the missiles, produced under a joint effort called "Operation Supercharge", are "essential for the F-35", according to the Associated Press.</p>

<p>The ministers also agreed to share technical information to expand production of the SM-3 Block IIA, an interceptor that destroys ballistic missiles, Nikkei reports. They confirmed "more advanced and realistic bilateral training efforts, including further live-fire exercises", and closer cooperation against cyberattacks.</p>

<p>The agreement builds on earlier work. In April, the two governments named the making of the missile's circuit cards as Japan's share of co-production and agreed to keep discussing a final assembly site in Japan, according to Japan's Defence Ministry. The same talks confirmed concrete steps to roughly quadruple output of the SM-3 Block IIA. Japan is a buyer as well as a builder: in January 2025, Washington approved the possible sale to Japan of up to 1,200 of these air-to-air missiles, valued at an estimated $3.64 billion.</p>

<h2>The doctrine, and the pushback</h2>

<p>The facility fits a bigger plan. Koizumi briefed Hegseth on Japan's revision of its three national security documents, due within this year, Nikkei reports. He said Japan would "strengthen denial defense capabilities that would deter unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion", according to Jiji Press. The Yomiuri Shimbun, citing government sources, reports that denial capabilities will be a pillar of the revised documents, with more drones and long-range missiles able to strike enemy warships from a distance.</p>

<p>Koizumi set out the idea in a speech last Friday: "We will not launch offensive operations ourselves, but we need to establish the capabilities to deny threats directed against Japan." On money, Koizumi said Hegseth did raise Japan's defence spending, but that the exchange was not held with any specific amount or conclusion in mind, Nikkei reports.</p>

<p>Koizumi said the talks were not directed at any specific country. Beijing reads Japan differently. On 16 October, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, accused Tokyo of attempting to "ditch the Three Non-Nuclear Principles" and urged Japan to abandon what she called "remilitarization", according to Xinhua. Those comments followed remarks in parliament by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, which Xinhua said hinted at exceptions to those principles. As of Thursday morning, LSN News found no direct Chinese response to the Cebu missile deal.</p>

<p>Japan also widened its circle in Cebu. India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, met Koizumi and said their "shared commitment remains vital for a free, open, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region", the Hindustan Times reports.</p>

<h2>Who holds the edge</h2>

<p>On industry, the edge goes to Tokyo, which moves from making parts to finishing missiles on its own soil. On the alliance, the edge goes to Washington, which gains a missile production base in Asia with an ally that buys as well as builds. On narrative, Beijing gains: every new missile line in Japan feeds its message about Japanese remilitarization, aimed at audiences across Asia. On time, Beijing also holds the edge for now. Koizumi gave no further details of the agreement, the Associated Press reports, and no site, cost or start date has been made public.</p>

<p>Our reading: in the contest that matters most in a long war, the ability to keep firing, the edge moved toward Tokyo and Washington this week, but only on paper. Three things are worth watching: the revised security documents before the end of the year, the first site and date for the facility, and whether Japan's build-up comes up when Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are expected to meet at APEC in Shenzhen next month. Cebu was the venue. Japan is becoming the factory.</p>

<h2>Sources</h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/association-of-southeast-asian-nations-defense-ministers-pete-hegseth-shinjiro-koizumi-3351555ce9c46b41a3e31d91b81894eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press (Jim Gomez, Joeal Calupitan), 28 Oct 2026, "US and Japan to set up a Japanese facility for joint missile production"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/us-japan-agree-build-missile-production-facility-6501576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNA (AP), 28/29 Oct 2026, "US and Japan agree to establish missile-production facility"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA285NP0Y6A021C2000000/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nikkei, 28 Oct 2026 19:22 JST, 「戦闘機用ミサイル、日本に生産拠点新設へ日米防衛相が合意」</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.nippon.com/en/articles/-/56499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jiji Press via Nippon.com, 28 Oct 2026 21:35 JST, "(Update) Japan Tells U.S. of Plans to Boost Denial Defense Capabilities"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10/28/japan/us-japan-koizumi-hegseth-asean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Japan Times (Jesse Johnson), 28 Oct 2026, "U.S. and Japan defense chiefs agree to boost cooperation to prevent cyberattacks"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.mod.go.jp/j/approach/anpo/2026/0414a_usa-j.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japan Ministry of Defense, 14 Apr 2026, 4th DICAS ("DICAS 2.0") readout</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/en/pr/2026/pdf/0428_ds.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitsubishi Electric, 28 Apr 2026, AMRAAM co-production release</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.dsca.mil/Press-Media/Major-Arms-Sales/Article-Display/Article/4020619/japan-aim-120d-3-and-aim-120c-8-advanced-medium-range-air-to-air-missiles-amraam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Jan 2025, "Japan – AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://asianews.network/denial-capabilities-to-anchor-japans-revised-defence-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Yomiuri Shimbun via Asia News Network, 29 Oct 2026, "'Denial capabilities' to anchor Japan's revised defence strategy"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://english.news.cn/20261016/7c4188de34e7416f9cd25eeaa787ab49/c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xinhua, 16 Oct 2026, "No room for consideration for Japan to follow postwar int'l order, honor obligations: Chinese spokesperson"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/quad-nations-renew-push-for-indo-pacific-security-on-asean-sidelines-101793240309174.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hindustan Times (Rahul Singh), 29 Oct 2026 07:49 IST, "Quad nations renew push for Indo-Pacific security on ASEAN sidelines"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371413/us-china-negotiators-race-nail-down-concrete-deals-shenzhen-apec-looms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South China Morning Post (Nayan Seth), 20 Oct 2026, "US-China negotiators race to nail down concrete deals as Shenzhen Apec looms"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://english.news.cn/20260926/224233b250314676b5b519799796e6ec/c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xinhua, 26 Sep 2026, "Xi, Trump express intention to attend APEC, G20 later this year"</a></li>

<li><a href="https://defence-blog.com/hegseth-and-koizumi-agree-on-new-japanese-missile-production-line/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used only for corroboration)</a></li>

</ul>