US okays $3.6 bn missile sale to Japan

The United States on Friday announced the approval of a $3.6 billion sale of up to 1,200 advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Japan, one of Washington's closest allies in Asia.

China's increasingly assertive presence around disputed territories in the Pacific has sparked Japan's ire in recent years, leading Tokyo to boost security ties with the United States and other countries.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region," the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement.

"The proposed sale will improve Japan's capability to meet current and future threats by defending its homeland and US personnel stationed there," it said, adding that "Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces."

The State Department approved the possible sale and the DSCA on Friday provided the required notification to Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction.