USS George Washington visit sees Trump announce Japanese F-35 missiles

President Donald Trump told U.S. troops aboard the USS George Washington at Japan’s Yokosuka Naval Base on Tuesday that the “first batch of missiles for Japan’s F-35 fighter jets” would arrive this week, suggesting U.S. defense deliveries to Tokyo are moving ahead ahead of schedule.

The comments came during Trump’s hour-long speech to sailors as part of his Asia trip, which included a stop in Malaysia before Japan, where he met with the country’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and signed a new U.S.-Japan framework agreement on rare earth minerals. Later this week, Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Washington has approved several major arms sales to Japan, including the advanced AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles designed for the F-35.

TRUMP TRIBUNALIST JAPAN’S EMPEROR AND NEW PM AHEAD OF HIGH-Stakes XI SUMMIT THIS WEEK

President Donald Trump, along with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaks to military personnel aboard the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier docked at a U.S. naval base, in Yokosuka, Tuesday, October 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump praised the U.S.-Japan alliance, calling it “one of the most remarkable relationships in the world.”

President Donald Trump speaks to service members aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, docked at a U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Prime Minister Takaichi, sharing the stage with Trump, said Japan was “committed to fundamentally strengthening its defense capability” and “ready to contribute even more proactively to peace and stability in the region.”

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to service members aboard the USS George Washington at U.S. Navy Base Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Trump also touted Japanese and U.S. stock markets hitting record highs, saying it was a sign that “we’re doing something right.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump’s appearance underscored Washington’s deepening security cooperation with Tokyo as regional tensions with China and North Korea persist. Ahead of his trip to Asia this week, Trump issued repeated invitations to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, although no concrete preparations are underway.