Details of Japan's $19 million deal to sell Patriot missiles to the US

Members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces walk past a Patriot missile battery (PAC-3) on the grounds of the Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tokyo.

The deal was announced by Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) on July 28 and comes seven months after Tokyo decided to transfer some Patriot missiles of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to Washington at the request of the US President Joe Biden's administration.

The Nikkei newspaper reported on July 30 that an ATLA official declined to comment on the number of Patriot missiles to be sold to the US. However, a former Pentagon official familiar with the negotiations put the number at around 10 missiles.

Late last year, the Japanese cabinet approved on December 22, 2023, easing regulations on defense equipment transfers to upgrade security relations with allies and strengthen the domestic arms manufacturing industry, Kyodo News reported.

In the US, the Patriot radar and ground systems are manufactured by RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies, while the missiles are manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

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In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries produces about 30 missiles a year for the air defense force. Currently, the Japan Self-Defense Forces possess three types of Patriot missiles: PAC-2, PAC-3 and the more advanced PAC-3 MSE.

The advanced version of the Patriot costs about $4 million per missile, with a range 50% longer than the normal version. Therefore, at $19 million for 10 missiles, the US is likely to buy the normal version of the Patriot missile.

For its part, ATLA also confirmed that it will soon sell PAC-3 missiles to the US military.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chi-tiet-thuong-vu-19-trieu-usd-nhat-ban-ban-ten-lua-patriot-cho-my-185240730105021236.htm