The United States and Japan have agreed to establish a facility in Japan for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles under Operation Supercharge. Announced on October 28, 2026, by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines, the initiative aims to enhance deterrence capabilities for F-35 fighter jets amid growing regional security tensions and territorial disputes involving China in the East and South China Seas.
US-Japan joint missile production agreement
- ▪The United States and Japan agreed to establish a Japanese facility for the joint production of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles under an initiative called Operation Supercharge
- ▪Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that the medium-range air-to-air missiles produced under the joint effort called Operation Supercharge are essential for operating F-35 fighter jets used by the Japanese military
- ▪Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced an agreement to establish a joint missile-production facility
US-Japan alliance security commitments
- ▪Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth agreed to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the U.S.-Japan alliance regarding the regional security situation involving China's aggression in Asia
- ▪During their October 28, 2026 meeting in Cebu, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed their commitment to an international order that rejects unilateral alterations to the status quo through force or coercion
US-ASEAN defense talks in Cebu
- ▪U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with ASEAN defense ministers led by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
- ▪The October 28, 2026 annual meeting of Southeast Asian defense chiefs and their Asian and Western counterparts in Cebu aims to avert regional military conflict and strengthen defense cooperation
- ▪U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the Trump administration's regional security strategy to ASEAN defense chiefs as strong enough to deter coercion and quiet enough to avoid needless escalation
U.S. security assurances to the Philippines
- ▪U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured the Philippines that the Trump administration will build a robust deterrence against China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea
- ▪The United States government reiterated its legal obligation to defend the Philippines if Filipino military forces, ships, or aircraft come under armed attack in the South China Sea
South China Sea territorial disputes
- ▪Escalating maritime confrontations have occurred between Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy vessels in disputed shoals and outlying waters of the South China Sea
- ▪China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, creating overlapping territorial claims with ASEAN member states the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, as well as Taiwan
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