ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he approved the first batch of missiles to be delivered to Japan's Self-Defense Forces for their F-35 fighter jets.
"I'm delighted to report that I've just approved the first batch of missiles," Trump told American troops during a visit to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington at Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo.
The missiles will arrive "this week, so they're ahead of schedule," Trump said.
Military superiority message
Trump emphasized US military dominance, saying: "From now on, if we're in a war, we're going to win the war. We're going to win it like nobody ever before."
He praised US naval power, saying no navy comes "even close" and that America makes the best equipment, ammunition, weapons, missiles, and planes.
"There's no military like our military, not even close. Nobody has our weapons, and it'll be stronger and more powerful than ever before very soon," Trump said.
He emphasized that beyond advanced weaponry, US military strength depends on its personnel. "If you don't have the right people to operate those weapons, they don't mean much," he told the troops.
Trump made the remarks during the troops visit accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as part of his three-nation Asia tour.
Tokyo to take US alliance to 'greater heights'
Addressing the US-Japan troops after Trump, Takaichi pledged that Japan will “proactively contribute” to peace and stability in the wider Asia-Pacific region.
She said, the aircraft carrier, from where she and Trump were addressing the troops, was a “symbol of protecting freedom and peace in the region.”
Recalling her political mentor and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s stance on security in the region, Takaichi said she will “carry forward” the same “resolve” for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” which will “serve as foundation for peace and prosperity in the entire region.”
In an “unprecedented, severe security environment,” she said Tokyo will “fundamentally reinforce its defense capabilities” with “unwavering determination and action.”
Dubbing Japan’s alliance with the US as “greatest,” Takaichi said she will take it to “even greater, greater heights."
In her first policy speech after being elected last week, Takaichi pledged Japan will boost its defense spending to around 2% of its GDP, two years earlier than its previous targets.
Under a mutual defense treaty, the US has more than 50,000 soldiers deployed in Japan, besides arms, weaponry, and military bases.