Japan will begin acquiring Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States in fiscal 2025 ¡ª a year earlier than initially planned ¡ª in light of the increasingly challenging Asian security environment, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara announced Wednesday during a meeting in Washington with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Kihara¡¯s trip was his first to the U.S. since he took over the defense portfolio in a Cabinet reshuffle just three weeks ago.
The missile deal is still subject to U.S. congressional approval, but the two defense chiefs had ¡°shared the recognition¡± that Japan would buy the Tomahawk Block-4 missiles in the fiscal year that begins in April 2025, officials said.
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