Japan and US Agree to Establish AIM-120 Missile Assembly Plant
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S.Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have agreed to establish a facility in Japan to assemble AIM-120 air-to-air missiles.
According to Nikkei, negotiations on the project have been underway since at least 2024.
Preparations for localizing AIM-120 missile production had been underway since at least September 1, 2026. On that date, Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency published Notice No. 137, seeking a contractor to conduct research into establishing domestic production of components for these missiles.
Applications were accepted until September 30, with the research scheduled for completion by March 26, 2027.
Requirements for potential contractors included being a Japanese company and having experience in the design, production, and testing of medium-range air-to-air missiles.
One company that meets these criteria is Mitsubishi Electric, which has extensive experience in producing domestically developed air-to-air missiles of this class, including the Type 99, a Japanese counterpart to the American AIM-120.
On April 28, 2026, Mitsubishi Electric confirmed that it was in talks with Raytheon about participating in the joint production of AMRAAM missiles. At the time, the two companies were discussing the extent of Japan’s involvement in missile production.
The work will involve manufacturing circuit card assemblies. In the future, Mitsubishi Electric plans to participate in the missiles’ final assembly and checkout.
The exact location of the planned facility is currently unknown.
Localizing AIM-120 Missile Production in Japan
The construction of a facility for assembling, inspecting, and testing AIM-120 missiles is linked to two ambitious plans.
The first is Japan’s plan to procure 1,200 missiles of this type to equip its F-35A and F-35B fighter jets.
Due to certain restrictions, Japanese missiles cannot be integrated into these aircraft. As a result, Japan cannot standardize its missile arsenal using only domestically produced weapons.
The second objective is to manufacture missiles for export to the United States amid growing demand for these munitions. AIM-120 missiles are among the most widely used air-to-air missiles in the world and are equipped with active radarseekers.
They are used by numerous types of combat aircraft, as well as by NASAMS air defense systems operated by the United States and several European countries, including Ukraine. Ukraine’s NASAMS systems regularly use these missiles to repel Russian aerial attacks, creating a significant need to replenish stocks.
Source: Militaryni
