Japan cleared for $113 million AMRAAM purchase

The State Department has approved the potential sale of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles to Japan, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced today.

The possible sale includes 56 AIM 120C-7 AMRAAM weapons made by Raytheon at a total estimated cost of $113 million, according to an Oct. 4 DSCA statement.

"The proposed sale will provide Japan a critical air defense capability to assist in defending the Japanese homeland and U.S. personnel stationed there," the agency said. "Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these additional munitions into the Japan Air Self-Defense Force."

The deal is the first foreign military sale to Japan approved under the Trump administration. In response to North Korea's purported test of a hydrogen bomb, President Trump announced in a Sept. 5 tweet that he is allowing South Korea and Japan to buy "a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States."

Trump is scheduled to visit Japan in November, according to the White House.