Japan will be purchasing more military equipment from the United States to enhance its defense against the North Korean nuclear threat.
“One of the things, I think, that’s very important is that the Prime Minister of Japan is going to be purchasing massive amounts of military equipment, as he should,” US President Donald Trump said during a joint press briefing with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan.
“We make the best military equipment, by far. He’ll be purchasing it from the United States. Whether it’s the F-35 fighter, which is the greatest in the world — total stealth — or whether it’s missiles of many different kinds,” Trump added.
“It’s a lot of jobs for us and a lot of safety for Japan and other countries that are likewise purchasing a lot of military equipment from us that, frankly, a year ago and two years ago were not,” the US president said.
This was agreed by Prime Minister Abe. “The North Korean situation becoming very tough; the Asia Pacific security situation becoming very tough. We qualitatively and quantitatively, we have to enhance our defense capability,” he said.
“As the President mentioned, F-35A is a case in point. SM-3 Block IIA is another plan for purchase from the United States. Aegis vessels — the quality and the quantity must be enhanced. In that process, we will be buying more from the United States. That is what I’m thinking,” he added.