The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) Block I missiles and related equipment to Japan for an estimated cost of $450 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
The Japanese government has asked to buy as many as 32 of the SM-6 missiles as well as other equipment and services, the Pentagon said in a statement.
"The proposed sale will improve Japan's Air Defense and Ballistic Missile Defense capabilities against potential adversaries in the region," the statement said.
