In a major move to upgrade their defense integration, the United States and Japan have agreed to set up a facility in Japan for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles.

The deal was announced by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Wednesday in the central Philippine province of Cebu, where he met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on the sidelines of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus.

The move comes at a time when Japan is pushing ahead with full-scale re-militarization, increasingly challenging the postwar international order. The agreement not only accelerates Japan’s military buildup, but also fuels the reemergence of neo-militarism in the country as the collaboration further weakens the constraints of Japan’s pacifist Constitution.

The deepening military cooperation between the two countries is likely to escalate regional tensions. The missiles to be produced are part of “Operation Supercharge”, a joint initiative that is essential........

© The Frontier Post (Editorial)