12-22-2023, 12:38 PM
Quote:Japan says it will send Patriot air defence missiles to the US after changing its arms export rules, in a shift away from its pacifist policies.
The White House has welcomed the move, which could free up the US to send its own stockpile to Ukraine.
...
Tokyo previously only allowed for components of licensed equipment to be sent from Japan to the nation where the manufacturing licence originated. But under the new rules it can ship finished goods too.
Shortly after the government announced this change on Friday, the foreign ministry said it would ship Patriot missiles to the US to "further strengthen the Japan-US alliance".
It added that the missiles could only be sent to the US, and would require Japan's approval to be sent to a third country. Japan still bans the export of weapons to countries at war.
This could mean that Japan-made Patriot missiles may replenish the US' stockpile, while Washington sends US-made ones to Ukraine.
In Japan, the Patriot missiles are manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under licence from US defence contractors Lockheed Martin and RTX.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67798740
Eric
"the older we get the better we were"