Japan Receives First AIM-120 and AIM-9X Missiles For F-35 Missiles as Trump Announces Delivery in Yokosuka

In a move that underscores deepening U.S.-Japan defense cooperation, U.S. President Donald Trump announced aboard the USS George Washington in Yokosuka Naval Base on October 28, 2025, that Japan will receive its first shipment of U.S.-made air-to-air missiles for its F-35 Lightning II fighter jets this week. The announcement — made before American sailors — signifies not only the timely progress of U.S. arms deliveries but also a critical boost to Japan’s air defense capability at a moment of mounting regional tension.

A Strategic Delivery from Sea to Sky

According to information published by Fox News, the shipment includes two of the most advanced air-to-air weapons in U.S. service: the AIM-120D AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) and the AIM-9X Sidewinder. These missiles are specifically designed to integrate seamlessly with fifth-generation fighters like the F-35, enhancing their combat efficiency in both long-range and close-quarter engagements.

The AIM-120D, the latest variant of the AMRAAM, offers a range exceeding 160 km, allowing Japanese pilots to engage enemy aircraft beyond visual range (BVR) — a decisive advantage against adversaries such as China’s J-20 stealth fighters or Russia’s Su-35s. Meanwhile, the AIM-9X, equipped with high off-boresight targeting and infrared homing, provides exceptional agility and precision in dogfights, ensuring Japan’s F-35s maintain supremacy in short-range aerial encounters.

Enhancing Japan’s Expanding F-35 Fleet

The delivery marks a major milestone in Japan’s defense modernization. Tokyo’s long-term procurement plan includes 105 F-35A conventional variants for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and up to 42 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variants for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

The F-35Bs are being adapted for deployment on Japan’s Izumo-class helicopter destroyers, which are currently undergoing extensive refits to function as light aircraft carriers. Once complete, Japan will operate a fleet of 147 F-35s — making it the largest F-35 operator outside the United States.

By arming these jets with the latest American missiles, Japan transforms its F-35s from cutting-edge platforms into fully operational combat assets capable of performing high-intensity missions across the East China Sea, Sea of Japan, and Western Pacific.

Estimated Missile Quantities for Japan Deal

Japan’s Missile Deal with the U.S. was approved in January 2025, allowing Tokyo to purchase up to 1,200 AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles under a $3.64 billion Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The deal, cleared by the U.S. State Department, aims to strengthen Japan’s air defense and enhance the combat capability of its F-35 and F-15 fighter jets. The agreement also includes related equipment, training, and support to improve Japan’s operational readiness, marking another step in deepening U.S.-Japan defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Operational Impact: Changing the Air Power Equation

The integration of AIM-120D and AIM-9X missiles into Japan’s F-35 arsenal fundamentally alters the regional air power dynamic. With these weapons, Japanese pilots gain the “first-look, first-shot, first-kill” advantage — the ability to detect, target, and neutralize hostile aircraft before being seen themselves.

In a potential East China Sea confrontation, for example, where Chinese PLAAF fighters often probe Japanese airspace near the Senkaku Islands, an F-35 armed with AMRAAMs could engage multiple adversaries simultaneously from standoff range. Conversely, in close-range encounters — such as intercepts over Hokkaido or near North Korean launch trajectories — the AIM-9X provides lethal accuracy, even in high-G maneuvers.

These capabilities are not only defensive but deterrent. Knowing that Japan’s stealth fighters are equipped with top-tier U.S. missiles significantly raises the cost of any incursion or airspace violation.

Alliance Synergy: Shared Missiles, Shared Defense

President Trump’s announcement came just after a strategic meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defense cooperation. The pair also signed a new framework on rare earth mineral cooperation, underscoring how economic and military partnerships are increasingly interconnected between Washington and Tokyo.

From a defense standpoint, this delivery reinforces U.S.-Japan interoperability. Using identical missiles, datalink systems, and maintenance standards allows Japan’s F-35s to operate seamlessly with U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aircraft during joint operations, patrols, and exercises. In practical terms, a Japanese F-35 can now share targeting data and even coordinate missile engagements with American counterparts in real time — a level of networked warfare central to modern air combat.

Regional Implications: Deterrence in a New Security Era

Japan’s rearmament effort comes amid growing regional instability. China continues to assert its presence over contested islands and expand its air patrols near Okinawa, while North Korea’s missile launches increasingly overfly Japanese territory. In such a volatile environment, speed, range, and precision are no longer luxuries — they are survival tools.

The arrival of AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles ensures that Japan’s air force is not merely reactive but proactively capable of denying adversaries the air domain from the outset. In strategic terms, this transforms Japan from a defensive shield into an active deterrent, able to shape outcomes rather than simply respond to them.

Beyond Japan: Strengthening Indo-Pacific Defense Architecture

Equipped with advanced U.S. missiles, Japan’s F-35s become part of a larger, integrated regional defense network stretching from Alaska to Guam. These aircraft can now operate within shared command-and-control frameworks, participate in coalition patrols, and contribute to crisis response missions alongside allies like Australia, South Korea, and the Philippines.

This development also fits into the broader U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, which seeks to distribute advanced combat capabilities among allies to counterbalance China’s rapid military buildup. By positioning Japan as a forward-operating hub for next-generation fighters and munitions, Washington effectively strengthens its entire Pacific deterrent structure.

President Trump’s Yokosuka announcement represents far more than a ceremonial handover — it marks the beginning of a new phase in Japan’s defense posture. With the AIM-120D and AIM-9X now arming its F-35 squadrons, Japan steps decisively into the era of fifth-generation warfare, combining stealth, situational awareness, and unmatched precision weaponry.

For the U.S.-Japan alliance, this milestone cements a shared vision: maintaining air superiority, deterrence, and regional stability in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.

The first shipment of missiles may be arriving this week, but its strategic impact will resonate across the Pacific for years to come — redefining Japan’s role as both shield and sword in the region’s evolving security landscape.