Japan to supply US with missiles for Patriot systems Ukraine needs

The Japanese government has decided to supply the US with interceptor missiles for Patriot anti-aircraft systems in order to replenish the supplies of the US. The White House has approved this decision.

Source: Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, as reported by European Pravda

Quote from Sullivan: "This decision will contribute to the security of Japan and to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region by ensuring that U.S. forces, in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, will continue to maintain a credible deterrence and response capability."

Sullivan added that Biden "strongly appreciates and supports the leadership role played by Japan".

On 22 December, the Japanese government weakened the strict defence production export rules which will allow Japan to conduct its first export of aircraft military equipment next year, as reported by The Japan Times media outlet.

Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, explained that the supply of defence equipment had become an important political tool both for "deterring unilateral changes to the status-quo by force and for creating a desirable defence environment for Japan".

"In taking such action, we would like to contribute to the protection of a free and open international order based on the rule of law and to the realisation of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region," Kishida told reporters on 22 December.

These changes recommended last week by a group of lawmakers are happening at the time when Japan is planning to export missiles for Patriot anti-aircraft systems to the US on the request of Washington in order to help it replenish its stocks depleted by military aid for Ukraine.

To do this, Tokyo has revised the country’s defence equipment and technology transfer guidelines — originally established in 1976 — for the first time since 2014, allowing the export of finished defence products, including lethal ones, manufactured in Japan under foreign licence to the countries that hold patents for the equipment.

Previous guidelines only permitted the export of licensed components to the US, such as engine parts or missile guidance equipment, while also allowing the transfer of locally developed nonlethal assets and technologies, as seen with Japan’s provision of patrol vessels and early-warning radars to the Philippines.

Tokio made it clear that future supply of the missiles for Patriot systems would only be aimed at replenishing American stocks, not for further transfer to other countries. Yet, according to the revised framework, licensed military equipment may also be sent to other countries if Tokyo allows it.

It means, for instance, that Washigton may potentially supply the European countries with Japan-made missiles for Patriots or other licensed armament on condition that the recipients are officially not in the state of war.

While this prohibits transfers to Ukraine, which is approaching its third year of countering the Russian invasion, Tokyo’s revisions will give Washington and Europe greater flexibility when it comes to strengthening Kyiv’s air defences.

If Japan transfers its (Patriot) PAC-3 missiles to the US, and Washington exports the Patriots it already stocks to Ukraine, then this can indirectly support Kyiv without affecting US air defence capacity, said Masashi Murano, a Japan chair fellow at the US-based Hudson Institute, adding that after exporting to Washington, Japan's domestic missile production is likely to be quickly expanded to fill the gap.

Earlier, Germany confirmed that it had supplied Ukraine with its second Patriot system.

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