US State Department approves JASSM-ER missile sale to Japan

MELBOURNE, Australia — The U.S. State Department has approved a possible sale of stealthy air-launched standoff cruise missiles to Japan.

Under the potential deal, the U.S. ally would buy 50 Lockheed Martin AGM-158B/B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range through the Foreign Military Sales program, according to an Aug. 28 announcement by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The planned sale, which the DSCA said is worth $104 million, will also include JASSM anti-jam GPS receivers, training missiles, as well as other spares and support equipment.

“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 (JASDF) fighter aircraft including but not limited to the F-15J,” the agency added.

The proposed sale now goes before Congress, during which quantities and price tags can change.

Japan plans to upgrade 68 of its Mitsubishi-built F-15J Eagle interceptors with new radars, mission computers and a standoff land-attack capability. The country had specifically planned for the JASSM weapon to provide the latter capability for its upgraded jets.

The Asian nation also plans to operate a future fleet of 147 F-35 jets that can employ the JASSM. Japan is currently on track to be the largest non-U.S. operator of the fifth-generation stealth fighter.

The AGM-158B JASSM-ER can deliver a 1,000-pound warhead up to 575 miles away, while the longer-range AGM-158B-2 has a warhead weighing 2,000 pounds with a range of 1,200 miles.

Other Japanese media outlets have reported the country is considering fitting a standoff missile capability on its Kawasaki C-2 airlifters, with the JASSM and the U.S. Air Force’s Rapid Dragon system cited as a possible option.

Japan has sought to acquire long-range land-attack capabilities in recent years as it seeks the capability to strike at potential threats as well as counter North Korean ballistic missiles or attempts by an adversary to seize Japan’s southern islands.

It had previously avoided acquiring such capabilities, as it deemed them too aggressive and in violation of its pacifist post-war constitution, which limited Japan’s self-defense forces to possessing capabilities required only for defending the Japanese mainland.

Mike Yeo is the Asia correspondent for Defense News.

澳大利亚墨尔本——美国国务院已批准向日本出售隐形空射防区外巡航导弹。

根据国防安全合作局 8 月 28 日发布的公告，根据这项潜在协议，美国的盟友将通过对外军售计划购买 50 枚洛克希德·马丁公司生产的 AGM-158B/B-2 联合空对地增程防区外导弹。

据美国国防安全合作局 (DSCA) 称，此次计划中的军售价值 1.04 亿美元，还将包括 JASSM 抗干扰 GPS 接收器、训练导弹以及其他备件和支持设备。

该机构补充说：“拟议的军售将通过为日本航空自卫队（JASDF）战斗机（包括但不限于F-15J）提供先进的远程打击系统，提高日本应对当前和未来威胁的能力。”

该项拟议出售计划现在将提交国会审议，在此期间，数量和价格可能会发生变化。

日本计划对其68架三菱制造的F-15J“鹰”式截击机进行升级，包括加装新型雷达、任务计算机以及防区外对地攻击能力。日本此前已专门计划使用JASSM导弹为其升级后的战机提供后一种攻击能力。

这个亚洲国家还计划未来运营一支由147架F-35战斗机组成的机队，这些战斗机可以使用JASSM导弹。日本目前有望成为除美国以外最大的第五代隐形战斗机用户。

AGM-158B JASSM-ER 可将 1,000 磅重的弹头投送到 575 英里以外，而射程更远的 AGM-158B-2 的弹头重 2,000 磅，射程为 1,200 英里。

其他日本媒体报道称，日本正在考虑在其川崎 C-2 运输机上安装防区外导弹能力，JASSM 和美国空军的“快速龙”系统被认为是可能的选项。

近年来，日本一直寻求获得远程陆上攻击能力，以打击潜在威胁，并对抗朝鲜弹道导弹或敌方企图夺取日本南部岛屿的行动。

日本此前一直避免获得此类能力，因为它认为这些能力过于激进，违反了其战后和平宪法，该宪法限制日本自卫队只能拥有保卫日本本土所需的能力。

Mike Yeo 是《防务新闻》的亚洲通讯员。