Mitsubishi Electric eyes F-35 missile deal with Europe's MBDA-sources

Japan's Mitsubishi Electric has agreed to take the first step towards a partnership with European missile maker MBDA to develop a medium-range air-to-air missile for the F-35 stealth fighter, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

The preliminary deal marks an extension of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's bid to launch Japan's military suppliers into the global arms market through international tie-ups, and thereby bring down costs for Japan's defence procurement.

If successful, it would represent the first time Japanese-built components had been used on a missile sold overseas, one of a string of potential international arms deals to emerge since Abe's government moved in April to end a more than four decade-old ban on military exports.

Read more