On Tuesday, President told U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington at Japan’s Yokosuka Naval Base that the “first batch of missiles for Japan’s F-35 fighter jets” is set to “arrive this week,” suggesting an expedited timeline for U.S. defense deliveries to Tokyo.

These comments were made during President ‘s hour-long address to sailors as part of his broader Asia trip. This tour included a stop in Malaysia before Japan, where he met with the country’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and formalized a new U.S.-Japan framework agreement on rare earth minerals. President is also anticipated to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.

Washington has previously approved several substantial arms sales to Japan, including advanced AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles specifically engineered for F-35s.

President praised the U.S.’ , characterizing it as “one of the most remarkable relationships in the entire world.”

Prime Minister Takaichi, sharing the platform with President , affirmed Japan’s commitment to “fundamentally reinforcing its defense capability” and its readiness to “contribute even more proactively to peace and stability in the region.”

President also highlighted the record-high performance of both Japan’s and the U.S.’ stock markets, interpreting it as a sign that “we’re doing something right.”

President ‘s appearance emphasized Washington’s deepening security cooperation with Tokyo amid ongoing regional tensions involving China and North Korea. Ahead of his Asia trip this week, President had extended repeated invitations to meet North Korean leader , though no concrete arrangements are presently in motion.