Jan 9, 2018 - World

Trump admin approves $133 million missile sale to Japan

Haley Britzky

President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe. Photo: Kiyoshi Ota / Pool / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

Congress was notified on Tuesday that the Trump administration approved an SM-3 anti-ballistic missile sale with Japan that, per a State Department Official, is estimated to cost $133.3 million.

Why it matters: North Korea has flown ballistic missiles over Japan. In September, Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Sug said Japan will "never tolerate this repeated extreme provocative action," according to Al Jazeera.

The State Department Official said that the sale "will bolster the security of a major treaty ally that has been, and continues to be, a force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region...It would also follow through on President Trump's commitment to provide additional defensive capabilities to treaty allies threatened by the DPRK's provocative behavior."

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Trump admin approves $133 million missile sale to Japan

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