Japan Drops Plans to Procure US-Made Anti-Ship Missiles As Price Spirals Up, Reports Say

Sputnik News

10:32 GMT 05.08.2021(updated 10:33 GMT 05.08.2021)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Japan has abandoned plans to purchase US-made anti-ship missiles for its F-15 fighter jets over skyrocketing prices, the Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday.

The Japanese Defence Ministry has reportedly informed the ruling Liberal Democratic Party about the decision.

Initially, the two countries agreed on the price of 98 billion yen ($894 million) to upgrade the jets with the Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), but later the price went up to 218 billion yen (over $1.9 billion) due to shortages of electrical components and the need to update the software, according to the media outlet.

The missiles with a reported range of 900 kilometres (559 miles) are deemed vital by Japan in light of China's military buildup, the news agency said.

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