Japan has reportedly picked major US military contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. to provide advanced radar for its multi-billion-dollar missile defense system.
The decision on the radar supplier was revealed Tuesday by an unidentified Japanese Defense Ministry official cited in a Reuters report.
The report said Tokyo could now add the purchase to a military budget proposal scheduled for release in August.
Japan reportedly intends to purchase two Aegis Ashore batteries for deployment in 2023 in an upgrade of its missile defense systems against North Korean and Chinese armaments.
The two Aegis Ashore sites will likely cost at least twice as much as Japan’s initial estimate of two billion dollars, anonymous sources said, adding that the purchase could also help ease trade friction with Washington.
US President Donald Trump has called on Tokyo to purchase more American military equipment and other products in a bid to balance a trade deficit…