U.S. In Talks To Supply Japan With 'Offensive Weapons'

The US is currently in talks with Japan to supply “offensive weapons” which would make it easier for Japan to “project power far beyond its borders.”

According to Reuters, Tokyo is holding the talks, which are informal at this point and appear to rotate around what Japan describes as “strike capability.” This includes “the ability to take out North Korean missile bases” in the event of war or a pressing military event. 

No “specific hardware” is being discussed at this point, but experts believe an agreement in the talks “could open the door to billions of dollars worth of offensive missile systems and other hardware.”

The talks come as tensions over territorial claims in the East China Sea remain between Japan and China. In November 2013 Breitbart News reported that China declared an airspace defense zone over islands in the East China Sea. Japan claims the islands as the Senkaku and China claims them as the Diaoyu. 

Reuters reports that this tension has kept the talks on a slow track, as the US is “cautious” to avoid harming relations with China. 

The talks are also taking place on the heels of Japan’s reinterpretation of its own constitution to allow collective self-defense; a shift in military posture which could not be bigger, as Japan has “not fired a shot in anger since…World War II.”

It should be noted that Japan is also developing their own advanced weaponry. In mid-August AFP reported that Japan’s “first homegrown stealth fighter” should be ready for its inaugural test flight early next year. 

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins   Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.