ANKARA

Japan and the US are moving to jointly produce air-to-air missiles, local media said on Thursday.

The two sides will soon begin feasibility studies to start co-producing AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM), to shore up American stockpiles that have been depleted by the war in Ukraine, the daily Nikkei Asia reported.

The agreement between the two countries came during a meeting on Monday in Hawaii.

In January this year, US media reported that Tokyo had signed a deal with Washington for the purchase of up to 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Japan increased its defense spending for this year to 8.9 trillion yen ($56.7 billion).

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid