U.S., Japan in defense cooperation talks to help Ukraine - media

Japan and the United States are discussing the possibility of cooperation in the field of military equipment to provide Ukraine with more ammunition and expand Japan’s capacities to repair American warships and fighter jets.

This is reported by Bloomberg with reference to the Japanese media, Ukrinform saw.

Allies are trying to reach agreements ahead of the summit in Washington on April 10 when Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden are scheduled to meet, the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri writes, citing sources.

A key topic of the summit will be the search for ways in which Japan can help expand the U.S. arsenal. American manufacturers are working hard to supply weapons - from artillery shells to air defense systems, which Washington has vowed to Ukraine.

Japan, which adopted a pacifist constitution, provided Ukraine with non-lethal aid and credit guarantees worth billions of dollars – but not weapons, the publication writes. Easing Tokyo's restrictions on military exports could help the U.S. and European nations donate weapons to Ukraine in the short term, and in the long term, expand Japan's ability to export arms.

Last December, the Japanese government announced it would allow the sale of weapons produced under license back to its country of origin, as well as the export of Patriot missiles to its military ally. The move increased the number of interceptors available to the U.S., giving Washington more flexibility in supporting Ukraine's air defenses.

Kishida and Biden are expected to deepen relations between the countries and look for ways to strengthen the supply chain of defense equipment, particularly amid China's growing influence.

Tokyo and Washington are also considering expanding an agreement under which Japanese companies will regularly perform maintenance and repair works on U.S. military equipment, an issue expected to be on the summit’s agenda.

The publication also says that the U.S. 7th Fleet and other ships of the country's Navy are among the applicants for participation in the project, as well as F-35A fighter jets. This would reduce maintenance period for U.S. equipment and help Tokyo strengthen its defense production and technology.

As Ukrinform reported, at the end of 2023, Japan announced it was preparing to send Patriot missiles to the United States after revising its arms export rules. This became the first serious review of restrictions on the export of weapons in the last nine years.