Posted on 12/27/2023 6:14:38 PM PST by yesthatjallen
A storm of criticism and justification has erupted over the Japanese government's decision to sell Patriot surface-to-air guided missiles made in Japan to the US. Widely seen as an effort to restock an American arsenal depleted by shipments to Ukraine, it has raised doubts over the Biden administration's proclaimed commitment to the security of Japan and the Asia-Pacific.
It is also part of a policy aimed at building up Japan's defense industry by turning the once-pacifist country into an exporter of weapons. Under revised guidelines for the overseas transfer of military equipment approved by Japan's National Security Council on December 22, weapons made in Japan under foreign license may now be shipped to the country from which the license was received. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries makes Patriot missiles under license from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
Japan's basic Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology do not allow the export of deadly weapons to countries involved in armed conflict, but they do permit indirect lethal support of the NATO proxy war in Ukraine and the depletion of Japan's own stock of defense equipment at the request of the US.
According to NHK, Japan's national broadcaster,“The exports come at Washington's request. Sources close to Japan's Defense Ministry say the US wants to make up for a shortage of Patriot missiles it faces due to its military assistance to Ukraine.”
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at menafn.com ...
At the end of the Cold War, Japan and Germany, with U.S. approval, sold Patriot batteries to Israel and Poland. I was working at Raytheon Andover at the time, where the equipment went for refurbishment. The story was that the used equipment shipped back from Japan and Germany came back in better shape than when it left. U.S. Army equipment got “scuffed up”, but in fairness, the U.S. trained hard.
Can you imagine the headlines that would be blaring from every MSM outlet if PDJT had so mismanaged our defense supply chains that we had to beg for defensive weapons systems from Japan ?
So? The only Yamamoto we have to worry about these days is the one pitching for the Dodgers.
Disclosure: I worked for MHI in Japan for eight years. Great company. Highly ethical. We pulled out of a project in China while I was there because China was demanding technology transfers.
While MHI build the planes and ships that attacked Pearl Harbor, they are more loyal to the U.S.A. now than damn near any member of the Xiden administration.
I think think that this is going to turn out to be a double reverse: Japan hands off to US which then ‘surprises everyone’ by sending at least some of them to Ukraine.
Don’t come crying to us when Rodan shows up.
“sell Patriot surface-to-air guided missiles made in Japan to the US. Widely seen as an effort to restock an American arsenal depleted by shipments to Ukraine”
The Ukraine party line was we were giving Ukraine stuff that was to be scrapped, and replacing it all was helping our defense workers. Here, it’s Japan getting helped.
Thanks for posting. I was thinking our curroptocracy fund was selling them at x and buying them back at x times 50,000.
Well, i believe Russia can send their Baltic fleet again, around the world, all the way to japan and have a rematch.
Those missiles were in Japan to forestall any NK misdeeds with their rocket tests/shoots. Now, they’re coming to the US because we don’t have enough to give away to UKR, etc.
Everybody keeps telling us all “we’re only giving UKR what we have vast excesses of and don’t need.” Bull.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.