On Friday, Japan announced that it will provide the United States with Patriot missiles, replenishing global stockpiles amid Russian missile attacks on Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing an American official. official, reports UNN.
Details
According to a U.S. official, Tokyo is going to to transfer dozens of interceptor missiles used to shoot down ballistic missiles and other airborne threats from its own stockpile, starting in the first quarter of 2024.
This decision is a landmark for Japan, which for decades has been imposing an arms export ban on its own for decades because of its desire to stay out of global conflicts after World War II.
The war in Ukraine and Tokyo's concerns about China and North Korea have forced Japan to rethink its contribution to international security. On Friday, the Japanese government announced that it would ease controls on defense exports products and will allow weapons manufactured in Japan under license to be sent to the country that issued the license.
"This initiative is of great importance in terms of strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance," said Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi.
A representative of the Japanese Defense Ministry said that the timing and scope of the missile transfer has not yet been determined
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US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said that the decision made on Friday shows Tokyo's commitment to maintaining international security. security.
"This will help us manage our Patriot arsenal, with Ukraine and the Middle East, with greater flexibility and strategic deployment," Emanuel said. deployment," Emanuel said.
According to the publication, Japan still prohibits to supply weapons to countries involved in the war, meaning that it cannot directly send Patriot missiles to Ukraine directly.
Ukraine was not mentioned in the Japanese government's statement on Patriot exports. Instead, Tokyo officials said that the move would strengthen Japan's Japan's alliance with the United States and will serve as a basis for regional security.
However, according to security analysts, this move shows that Japan is ready to look for new ways to play a more more significant role in international security.
"This is an important step for Japan, which reinforces its commitment to support Ukraine's defense since the beginning of the war," said Christopher Johnston, a former US National Security Council official who now works at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Recall
Earlier, The Washington Post wrote that Japan is preparing a significant policy shift in its military export rules that would allow it to export several dozen missiles for the Patriot to Washington.