The US government has cleared the potential sale of additional long-range air-to-surface missiles to arm Japanese combat aircraft.
The package is valued at $39 million and includes up to 16 Lockheed Martin AGM-158B/B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range (JASSM-ER) weapons, says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
In addition to the weapons, the package includes dummy air training missiles as well as a range of other support equipment and services.
“The proposed sale will improve Japan’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing stand-off capability via advanced, long-range strike systems for employment on Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter aircraft, including but not limited to the [Boeing] F-15J and F-35A/B,” says the DSCA.
Around 70 F-15Js are to undergo an extensive upgrade that includes the ability to launch long-range standoff weapons such as JASSM-ER.
FlightGlobal’s 2025 World Air Force’s directory indicates that the JASDF operates 38 F-35As with commitments for 108 additional F-35s, of which 42 will be short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs.
The F-35Bs will operate from Japan’s two light aircraft carriers, JS Kaga and JS Izumo.
Media reports indicate that the F-35Bs were originally supposed to start arriving in 2024, but that this has moved back into 2025.
Another Japanese combat type that might be equipped with JASSM-ER is the Mitsubishi F-2. Tokyo has also explored the possibility of using the Kawasaki C-2 tactical transport to launch JASSM-ERs mounted on pallets from the aircraft’s cargo ramp.
In mid-2024 Tokyo approved a previous acquisition for 50 JASSM-ERs.
