Japan is selling the United States Patriot missiles because Ukraine needs more of them. Japan is expected to send several dozen Patriot interceptors to the U.S. The sale helps backfill a depleted supply and gives Washington some breathing room while it tries to help Ukraine strengthen its air defenses.
“This holds significant meaning in terms of further strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance. It will contribute not only to Japan’s security but also the peace and stability of the wider Indo-Pacific region,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.
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The Patriot air defense missile system is top of the line. With its many upgrades and enhancements over the years, the Patriot can take down jets, helicopters, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones.
During an engagement in Ukraine, one Patriot battery took out five Russian aircraft in five minutes.
The Patriot system and its intercepting missiles were developed by U.S.-based defense contractors. Those contractors, RTX and Lockheed Martin, licensed Mitsubishi to make the systems in Japan.
After defeat in World War II, Japan adopted a pacifist military footing on the world stage and barred the sale of any weapons to a country in conflict. But times are changing, and Tokyo doesn’t want to hamper the growing military ties with the United States. Especially not while China may feel emboldened by what Russia is doing in Ukraine.
So, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is changing Japan’s official policy. Under the new rules, weapons manufactured under license in the Land of the Rising Sun can be sold back to the countries where the weapons were originally made. In this case, that just so happens to cover the PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors Ukraine so desperately needs.
However, the actual physical missiles Japan is selling the U.S. won’t end up in Ukraine. Instead, they will be used to refill the supply of missiles the U.S. keeps on hand to cover conflicts in the Pacific, which frees up other missile stockpiles that can be sent to Ukraine.
Rahm Emanual, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said Japan is “undertaking a once-in-a-generation defense modernization.”
Earlier this year, Japan moved to raise defense spending to 2% of GDP. Emanuel said on social media Tokyo’s decision to change its export rules was “historic.”
Japan’s new weapons export provisions would also allow Tokyo to sell 155 mm artillery shells to the United Kingdom. The Financial Times reported such a deal is under consideration, since BAE Systems, based in the U.K., granted licenses to manufacture the rounds in Japan as well.
The LDP is also mulling various other changes to its arms exports industry and has been for several months. Japan signed on to design and develop a next-generation fighter jet with Britain and Italy, but the country’s current rules would restrict the potential customer base for the fighter.
Fortifying its air defenses could be the difference between victory or defeat for Kyiv. The war in Ukraine is at a stalemate on the ground, and Russia is settling in for a repeat of last winter when it fired a seemingly endless volley of missiles, drones, and artillery at civilian infrastructure, forcing Kyiv to choose between protecting its troops or its civilians.
Reuters contributed to this report.
[RYAN ROBERTSON]
JAPAN IS SELLING THE UNITED STATES PATRIOT MISSILES BECAUSE UKRAINE NEEDS MORE OF THEM. JAPAN IS EXPECTED TO SEND SEVERAL DOZEN PATRIOT INTERCEPTORS TO THE U.S. THE SALE HELPS BACKFILL A DEPLETED SUPPLY AND GIVES WASHINGTON SOME BREATHING ROOM WHILE IT TRIES TO HELP UKRAINE STRENGTHEN ITS AIR DEFENSES.
THE PATRIOT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM IS TOP OF THE LINE. WITH ITS MANY UPGRADES AND ENHANCEMENTS OVER THE YEARS, THE PATRIOT CAN TAKE DOWN JETS, HELICOPTERS, CRUISE MISSILES, BALLISTIC MISSILES, AND DRONES. DURING AN ENGAGEMENT IN UKRAINE, ONE PATRIOT BATTERY TOOK OUT FIVE AIRCRAFT IN FIVE MINUTES.
THE PATRIOT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM AND ITS INTERCEPTING MISSILES WERE DEVELOPED BY U.S.-BASED DEFENSE CONTRACTORS. THOSE CONTRACTORS, RTX AND LOCKHEED MARTIN, LICENSED MITSUBISHI TO MAKE THEM IN JAPAN.
AFTER DEFEAT IN WORLD WAR II, THOUGH, JAPAN ADOPTED A PACIFIST MILITARY FOOTING ON THE WORLD STAGE AND BARRED THE SALE OF ANY WEAPONS TO A COUNTRY IN CONFLICT. BUT THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGING, AND TOKYO DOESN’T WANT TO HAMPER THE GROWING MILITARY TIES WITH THE UNITED STATES. ESPECIALLY NOT WHILE CHINA MAY FEEL EMBOLDENED BY WHAT RUSSIA IS DOING IN UKRAINE.
SO, THE RULING LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS CHANGING JAPAN’S OFFICIAL POLICY. UNDER THE NEW RULES, WEAPONS MANUFACTURED UNDER LICENSE IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN CAN BE SOLD BACK TO THE COUNTRIES WHERE THE WEAPONS WERE ORIGINALLY MADE. IN THIS CASE, THAT JUST SO HAPPENS TO COVER THE PAC-2 AND PAC-3 INTERCEPTORS UKRAINE SO DESPERATELY NEEDS.
HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL MISSILES JAPAN IS SELLING THE U.S. WON’T END UP IN UKRAINE. INSTEAD, THEY WILL BE USED TO REFILL THE SUPPLY OF MISSILES THE U.S. KEEPS ON HAND TO COVER CONFLICTS IN THE PACIFIC, WHICH FREES UP OTHER MISSILE STOCKPILES THAT CAN BE SENT TO UKRAINE.
FORTIFYING ITS AIR DEFENSES COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VICTORY OR DEFEAT FOR KYIV. THE WAR IN UKRAINE IS AT A STALEMATE ON THE GROUND, AND RUSSIA IS SETTLING IN FOR A REPEAT OF LAST WINTER WHEN IT FIRED A SEEMINGLY ENDINGLESS VOLLEY OF MISSILES, DRONES, AND ARTILLERY AT CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, FORCING KYIV TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PROTECTING ITS TROOPS OR ITS CIVILIANS.
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