U.S. and Japan to Build Air-to-Air Missile Plant in Japan Under ‘Operation Supercharge’
The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a missile production facility in Japan under an initiative called Operation Supercharge, manufacturing advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles used by F-35 fighters and expanding allied weapons production capacity in the Indo-Pacific.
The United States and Japan are moving to manufacture front-line air combat weapons on Japanese soil, a shift that embeds their alliance more deeply in the region’s defense industry.
According to an announcement made during defense talks in the Philippines, the two governments have agreed to create a new missile production facility in Japan under an initiative called Operation Supercharge. The plant will build advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, the type of guided weapon used by F-35 fighters and other modern combat aircraft.
Producing these missiles in Japan is meant to increase the supply of a critical munition for U.S. and Japanese air forces operating in the Indo-Pacific. Medium-range air-to-air missiles are central to air superiority, especially in potential high-intensity conflicts where existing stockpiles could be quickly depleted and resupply from the continental United States might be slow or vulnerable.
Locating a factory in Japan shortens supply lines to forward bases and adds another production site in the region. It also ties Japan more tightly into the U.S. defense industrial base, making its territory not just a host for military forces but a source of key weapons.
For Tokyo, the facility aligns with a broader shift toward a more active defense posture, including higher defense spending and the acquisition of new capabilities. Hosting a plant that produces advanced missiles for F-35s signals that Japan is taking on a larger role in sustaining allied firepower.
For Washington, the move fits a wider attempt to distribute weapons manufacturing among close partners so that no single geography becomes a bottleneck. Building up capacity in the Indo-Pacific is intended to support U.S. and allied operations in a region where distances are long and potential adversaries can threaten sea and air lines of communication.
The timing and scale of the plant have not been detailed in the available material. Key indicators to watch will be the projected production rate, whether the facility is later assigned additional munitions beyond medium-range air-to-air missiles, and how regional rivals respond to a more robust allied weapons-production footprint in Japan.
Sources
- OSINT