The Japanese government is on the verge of supplying Patriot air defense missiles to the United States, a decision that marks a radical shift in its defense policy, which has long been anchored in pacifism. This news, reported by Nikkei, signals a major revision of Japan’s restrictive policies on arms exportation.
Japan’s National Security Council is expected to make the final decision by the end of the month, ending decades of restrictions that prevented Japan from exporting weapon systems. This move follows the reform of the “three principles” limiting arms exports, initiated by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2014. This revision aimed to strengthen Japan’s strategic alliances while establishing strict criteria for military equipment exportation, aligned with contributing to peace and international security.
These principles initially prohibited arms exports to communist countries, UN arms embargoed nations, and countries involved in armed conflicts.
The Patriot missiles, guided surface-to-air defense systems, are manufactured under license in Japan by the American defense conglomerate Raytheon. Until now, Japan could only export components of these systems. The planned regulatory revisions will now allow the export of complete weapon systems to the country of the license’s origin, paving the way for exporting Patriot missiles to the United States.