Washington “welcomes” Tokyo’s transfer of Patriot systems to the United States to “replenish” American stocks
Washington has “greeted” Friday the very rare decision of Japan to transfer Patriot air defense systems to “replenish stocks” of the United States, depleted by military aid to Ukraine. US President Joe Biden “is very grateful” to the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, declared the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, judging that this decision “contributed to the security of Japan (…) by ensuring that the American military maintains credible deterrence and response capabilities”.
To allow the transfer of these American-designed missile interception systems, Japan, which exercises strict control over its arms exports under its pacifist Constitution, relaxed its rules for the first time in nearly a decade . The shipment of Patriot, the sophisticated systems that play a key role in Ukraine’s defense against Russia, is Japan’s first export of lethal weapons since the end of World War II, media reported local.
“The appropriate transfer of defense equipment abroad will contribute (…) international peace and security and will also strengthen cooperation with allies and the United States in security areas., the Japanese government justifies itself in the document announcing the decision. Under this new rule, Japan “may export weapons that have been produced locally under license from a foreign country” towards the latter, said a national security official within the government, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Japan produces in particular the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) surface-to-air missile defense system, paying a license to the American defense group Lockheed Martin, which developed it. Washington, the main supplier of military aid to kyiv, is now turning to its allies in possession of American-designed or manufactured equipment, in order to respond to the demands of the Ukrainian army.