The U.S. government said Thursday that it has approved the sale of AIM-120D-3 and AIM-120C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Japan for an estimated cost of $3.64 billion.
Japan has sought to buy up to 1,200 missiles.
The sale is designed to strengthen Japan's deterrence against threats from China and others in the Indo-Pacific region.
The move will "improve Japan's capability to meet current and future threats by defending its homeland," the U.S. government said in a statement.
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