Japan And US Deepen Missile Cooperation, Plan Expanded Joint Military Drills

Japan and the United States have agreed to strengthen cooperation on missile development and expand joint military drills, including a greater security presence in waters southwest of mainland Japan, amid rising regional tensions linked to China.

The agreement was reached on Friday during talks in Washington between Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Both sides also committed to closer collaboration on defence supply chains, particularly those involving critical minerals.

Japan’s relations with China have become increasingly strained following comments by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in November suggesting Japan could consider military intervention if China were to attack Taiwan.

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, responded by restricting exports of so-called “dual-use” items to Japan. The move has heightened concerns in Tokyo that Beijing could limit access to essential rare earth materials.

Against this backdrop, Tokyo’s defence ministry said the two allies reaffirmed their commitment to one another, noting that as the “security environment is rapidly growing severe” in Asia, “the two ministers confirmed the Japan-US alliance remains absolutely unwavering.”

As part of the agreement, both countries will advance joint production of air-to-air missiles and surface-to-air interceptors, while also enhancing the scale and complexity of their military exercises.

They also agreed to pursue the expansion of “more sophisticated and practical joint drills in various locations, including the Southwest region,” according to the ministry’s statement.

Strengthening defence in the so-called Southwest region, which includes Okinawa and nearby islands, remains a key priority for Japan. Okinawa hosts the majority of US military bases in the country and is regarded by both governments as a strategic hub for monitoring China, the Taiwan Strait, and the Korean Peninsula.

Japan has also continued to ramp up its defence spending. In December, Prime Minister Takaichi’s right-leaning administration approved a record defence budget of nine trillion yen for the upcoming fiscal year.

During the meeting, Hegseth praised Japan’s approach, describing it as “hard-nosed realism; a practical, common-sense approach that puts both of our vital national interests together,” according to the US Department of War, which was recently renamed from the Department of Defense.

The talks were preceded by a joint workout session at a military gym, an unusual start to high-level defence discussions.

“The American military-style training was very tough,” Koizumi wrote on X.

“But I did my best to labour my way through it, telling myself, ‘This is all for the sake of strengthening the Japan-US alliance.’”