US approves additional $39 million JASSM-ER order for JASDF’s aircraft

The US State Department has approved the sale of joint-air-to-surface missiles (JASSM-ER) to Japan to equip the F-15J, F-35A and F-35B fleets of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).

The Government of Japan has asked to buy up to 16 JASSM-ER. Other items included in the sale include training missiles and containers, munitions support, spare parts and engineering and logistics support. Lockheed Martin will be the principal contractor for this sale.

This contract is part of a wider bid by Japan to modernise its F-15 fighter fleets. The upgrade will allow the F-15 aircraft to fire weapons like the JASSM-ER and Japan first signed a letter of acceptance for 50 of the weapons on 18 March 2024.

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The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said that this sale would “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 and F-35A/B.”

On the JASSM-ERs, Japan had previously said that it needed the missiles to “strengthen standoff defense capabilities in order to intercept and eliminate invading against Japan at distance and at an early stage”.