Japan to sell Patriot missiles to US after easing arms export restrictions
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Japan is easing its arms export rules so that it can ship next-generation fighter jets in development with Britain and Italy.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO – Japan said on Dec 22 it was preparing to ship Patriot air defence missiles to the United States after revising its arms export guidelines earlier in the day, in the pacifist nation’s first major overhaul of such export curbs in nine years.
The announcement comes as Japan, which has long adopted a stance of not allowing exports of deadly weapons, seeks to boost its defence industry amid an increasingly tense security environment
Although Japan’s new export controls still prevent it from shipping weapons to countries that are at war, it may indirectly benefit Ukraine in its war with Russia as it gives the US extra capacity to provide military aid to Kyiv.
A Japanese government official, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the missiles would be used to restock the US military’s arsenal for the safety and security of the Indo-Pacific.
The Patriot system is one of an array of sophisticated air defence units supplied by the West to help Ukraine after Russia invaded.
Under the previous rules, Japan could only export components and was prohibited from delivering completed products.
The revised guidelines now allow Tokyo to export completed products to countries where patent holders are based. Any re-export to third countries would require permission from Tokyo.
Japan produces Patriot missiles under licence from US firms Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
Tokyo is also considering exporting 155mm artillery shells, manufactured under BAE Systems’ licence, to Britain, the Financial Times reported on Dec 21.
The Japanese government official said exports are considered once the country where the licence holder is based makes a formal request, adding that the US has so far been the only country to make such a request.
Japan’s ruling party has been mulling over changes to the export controls for months, as the rules could stand in the way of shipping next-generation fighter jets
