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The US State Department has approved the sale of over 1,000 AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Japan as part of a deal estimated to cost US$3.64 billion.
The government of Japan has requested to buy up-to 1,200 AMRAAM missiles, with the US State Department greenlighting the sale in early January.
In addition to the missiles, the sale is expected to include up to 20 AIM-120D-3 guidance sections and four AIM-120-C-8 guidance sections.
The purchase will also include an array of training equipment, auxiliary parts, software and support.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency confirmed that the sale would improve US security by improving the security of a major ally.
It is hoped that the capabilities will improve Japan’s ability to overcome current and future threats, while protecting US troops stationed in the country.
The principal contractor for the agreement will be RTX Corporation. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency does not expect the sale to impact US defence readiness.
The confirmation comes just two months after Raytheon announced it had achieved full-rate production for the Standard Missile 3 Block IIA, amid increased demand from the US and allied partners.
The full-rate production announcement signalled that there is no elevated design or manufacturing risk in the missile, validating its reliability and performance.
This SM-3 Block IIA production milestone cleared the way for a US$1.9 billion (AU$2.83 billion) award from the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in July 2024 to produce rounds for both the US government and Japan Ministry of Defense.
Barbara Borgonovi, president of naval power at Raytheon, welcomed this announcement, saying, “SM-3 Block IIA is a testament to the continuing partnership with Japanese industry to mature ballistic missile defence capabilities for the defence of our nation and our allies around the globe.”
SM-3 Block IIA, created in a landmark cooperative development program between the MDA, Japan’s Ministry of Defense and their industry partners (Raytheon and Japanese industry), is the first MDA-procured program of its kind to achieve this manufacturing milestone.
