The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a final assembly and inspection facility in Japan for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, marking a new step in the allies’ effort to expand joint defense-industrial capacity. Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced the agreement after Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Cebu, the Philippines, on October 28, 2026.
The ministry’s official summary said the two ministers agreed to establish an AMRAAM final assembly and checkout facility in Japan under “Operation Supercharge,” a bilateral initiative designed to accelerate cooperation on defense equipment and technology. Koizumi described the missile as essential for the F-35 fighter aircraft, which is operated by both countries. The agreement concerns the final assembly and inspection stage; neither government said that every component would be manufactured in Japan.
Important details remain undisclosed. The Japanese government did not announce where the facility will be built, which company will operate it, how much it will cost, when it will open or how many missiles it is expected to handle. Breaking Defense reported that no Japanese industrial partner, timetable or production target was identified. The absence of those details means the announcement should be understood as an agreement on the facility’s creation rather than the start of immediate production.
The AMRAAM is an advanced medium-range air-to-air weapon used by F-35s and other combat aircraft. Creating a final assembly and inspection capability in Japan could broaden the production network available to the allies, but the practical effect will depend on the site, supply chain, technology-transfer arrangements and output capacity that are still to be determined. Koizumi said the agreement would help both countries obtain needed equipment while strengthening Japan’s defense industrial base.
The ministers also agreed to share technical information needed to increase production of the SM-3 Block IIA. That interceptor is a separate system from the AMRAAM and forms part of the allies’ missile-defense cooperation. Japan’s official readout did not disclose a planned production increase, schedule or financial value for that initiative either.
The talks took place during the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Cebu. According to the Japanese ministry, Koizumi and Hegseth discussed integrated air and missile defense, access to facilities, bilateral training and a stronger presence in Japan’s southwestern region. They said the alliance should improve its deterrence and response capabilities amid a more challenging regional security environment.
The Associated Press reported that Koizumi separately raised concern over increased Chinese naval activity near southwestern Japan. He cited three Chinese destroyers and a coast guard vessel that crossed the Osumi Strait toward the Pacific during the week. The minister said Japan would continue monitoring such activity. The joint production decision also comes as several governments in the region increase defense cooperation amid tensions in the East and South China seas.
The announcement is therefore significant for both industrial and strategic reasons, but it does not yet establish a delivery schedule or a measurable increase in missile stocks. The next meaningful milestones will be the selection of a site and industrial partner, disclosure of regulatory and technology-transfer arrangements, and a clear construction and production timetable. Until then, the confirmed development is limited to an agreement to create the Japanese AMRAAM final assembly and inspection facility and to share information aimed at expanding SM-3 Block IIA production.
