On March 11, 2025, the U.S. State Department approved a potential $200 million foreign military sale to Japan, focusing on support for Japan’s Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectiles [HVGP] program, according to a statement from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency [DSCA].
U.S. approves $200M deal to boost Japan’s high-speed weapons
Photo credit: JGSDF
The deal, which still requires Congressional approval, involves equipment and services to aid Japan’s development of this advanced weaponry, designed to bolster its defense capabilities.
The announcement, delivered to Congress on the same day, underscores a growing military partnership between the United States and Japan amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. Japan, a key U.S. ally, aims to enhance its ability to protect remote islands with this technology, while the U.S. sees the sale as a way to strengthen regional stability.
The DSCA’s notification detailed that Japan requested assistance for its indigenous HVGP program, a high-speed projectile system intended for defensive purposes. The package does not include the projectiles themselves but rather support services such as test preparation, testing, transportation, and coordination meetings between U.S. and Japanese officials.
These meetings are slated to occur in both countries, though no additional U.S. personnel will be stationed in Japan as part of this arrangement. The estimated cost of $200 million represents the highest possible value, with the final price potentially lower depending on Japan’s specific requirements and the terms finalized in any eventual agreement.
This proposed sale comes at a time when Japan is increasingly focused on fortifying its defenses, particularly in response to regional security challenges. The HVGP technology, which Japan is developing domestically, is designed to travel at hypersonic speeds and glide toward targets, offering a rapid-response capability.
According to the DSCA, the system will enhance Japan’s ability to counter current and future threats, with a particular emphasis on defending its remote island territories. These territories, scattered across the Pacific, have become a strategic priority as tensions simmer with neighboring countries over maritime boundaries and resource claims.
A State Department spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, emphasized the broader implications of the deal. “This sale aligns with U.S. foreign policy goals by reinforcing the security of a vital ally in the Indo-Pacific,” the spokesperson said.
“Japan’s stability contributes to peace and economic progress in a region that’s critical to global interests.” The spokesperson declined to elaborate on specific threats prompting Japan’s focus on this technology, but analysts point to ongoing disputes in the East China Sea and the broader military buildup in the region as likely factors.
The HVGP program itself remains somewhat shrouded in technical mystery, as Japan has released limited public details about its specifications. However, experts describe hyper-velocity gliding projectiles as a cutting-edge class of weaponry that combines extreme speed—often exceeding Mach 5—with maneuverability, making them difficult to intercept.
Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, which follow a predictable arc, gliding projectiles can alter their trajectory mid-flight. This capability could prove crucial for Japan, a nation with a pacifist constitution that restricts its military to defensive roles, as it seeks to deter potential aggressors without escalating into offensive operations.
The DSCA’s certification to Congress highlighted that the sale will not disrupt the military balance in the Indo-Pacific. This assessment reflects a careful calibration by U.S. officials, who are mindful of the delicate dynamics among Japan, China, and other regional powers.
China, which has its own hypersonic weapons program, has not yet commented officially on the proposed sale. However, past statements from Beijing have criticized U.S. military support to Japan as a destabilizing factor.
In a 2023 briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin accused the U.S. of “stoking tensions” through arms sales to allies in Asia, though he offered no specific evidence tied to Japan’s HVGP efforts.
For the United States, the sale represents a continuation of its long-standing commitment to Japan’s security under the U.S.-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty, signed in 1960. That treaty obligates the U.S. to aid Japan in the event of an attack, while Japan provides bases and logistical support for American forces in the region.
Over the decades, this partnership has evolved to include joint military exercises, intelligence sharing, and, increasingly, co-development of defense technologies. The HVGP support package builds on this framework, though it stops short of direct collaboration on the projectiles’ design or production.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense has not publicly confirmed the sale’s details but has previously outlined plans to strengthen its standoff defense capabilities—systems that allow it to engage threats from a distance. In its 2024 defense white paper, released in July, the ministry noted the importance of “ensuring the safety of remote islands” amid what it described as an “increasingly severe security environment.”
The document cited North Korea’s missile tests and China’s naval expansion as ongoing concerns, though it avoided naming specific adversaries for the HVGP program.
The financial aspect of the deal remains fluid. The DSCA emphasized that the $200 million figure is a ceiling, not a fixed cost. “The description and dollar value are based on initial requirements,” the agency stated in its release.
“Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreements, if and when concluded.” This caveat reflects the complexity of foreign military sales, which often involve protracted negotiations and adjustments based on a buyer’s fiscal constraints.
Japan, with a defense budget of approximately $50 billion for 2025, has the resources to absorb this expense, though it must balance military spending with domestic priorities like an aging population and economic recovery.
No private contractors were named in the DSCA’s announcement, as the equipment and services will be provided directly by the U.S. government. This approach differs from many foreign military sales, which often involve American defense firms like Lockheed Martin or Raytheon.
The absence of a contractor at this stage suggests that the deal focuses on technical assistance rather than hardware production. The DSCA also noted that no “offset agreements”—side deals where the buyer demands economic benefits, such as local jobs—are currently proposed, though such terms could emerge during negotiations between Japan and any future U.S. suppliers.
Implementation of the sale, if approved, will not require additional U.S. personnel in Japan, a point likely intended to reassure Tokyo. Japan hosts around 54,000 American troops, the largest overseas contingent of U.S. forces, and public opinion there has occasionally bristled at the presence of foreign military personnel.
By limiting the deal to services and coordination, the U.S. avoids adding to that footprint. The DSCA also assured that the sale will not impact U.S. defense readiness, meaning it won’t strain American resources or divert assets needed elsewhere.
The next step lies with Congress, which has 30 days from March 11, 2025, to review the proposal under the Arms Export Control Act. Lawmakers can object and block the sale, though such interventions are rare for allied nations like Japan.
In recent years, Congress has approved similar deals with minimal debate, including a $23 billion sale of F-35 jets and munitions to Japan in 2020. Barring unexpected opposition, the HVGP support package is expected to move forward, with final terms hashed out in subsequent talks.
For context, this sale fits into a broader trend of U.S. arms exports, which reached $238 billion in fiscal year 2023, according to State Department data. Japan ranks among the top buyers, alongside nations like South Korea and Australia, as the U.S. seeks to bolster its allies against potential adversaries.
The Indo-Pacific, with its mix of economic dynamism and geopolitical friction, remains a focal point for these efforts. Japan’s pursuit of HVGP technology mirrors moves by other powers, including the U.S., which tested its own hypersonic weapon in 2021, and Russia, which claimed to deploy such systems in Ukraine in 2022.
The announcement marks an incremental but significant step in Japan’s defense modernization, driven by a shifting regional landscape. While the $200 million price tag is modest compared to other arms deals, the strategic weight of the HVGP capability could resonate for years to come.
Whether it deters aggression or fuels further arms races in the Indo-Pacific remains an open question—one that policymakers in Washington and Tokyo will be watching closely as the program takes shape.
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