「ライセンス」武器の輸出解禁　ＰＡＣ３、米国に提供―政府、三原則・運用指針を改定

　政府は２２日、防衛装備品の輸出拡大に向け、防衛装備移転三原則と運用指針を改定した。外国企業に特許料を支払って製造する「ライセンス生産」の武器・弾薬に関し、ライセンス元の国への完成品輸出と、第三国への条件付き移転を解禁。第１弾として、地対空誘導弾パトリオット（ＰＡＣ２、ＰＡＣ３）を米国に提供することを決定した。
　国際共同開発の装備品に関しては、第三国への部品や技術の直接移転を容認。完成品は与党協議で公明党が難色を示したため見送った。政府は英国、イタリアと次期戦闘機の共同開発で合意しており、両国との作業分担などに関する交渉が本格化する前の来年２月末までに結論を得たい考えだ。
　岸田文雄首相は２２日、首相官邸で記者団に「（改定で）法の支配に基づく国際秩序を守り、インド太平洋地域の平和と安定を実現していくことに貢献したい」と述べた。
　ライセンス生産品の輸出は、米国の装備品を対象に部品のみ可能だった。新たな指針は、対象を米国以外のライセンス元国に拡大し、完成品も含む輸出を解禁。輸出先から第三国への移転も、戦闘中の紛争当事国を除いて認める。（2023/12/22-19:13）

The Japanese government revised the country's Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and the Implementation Guidelines for the principles on Friday, lifting its ban on exports of arms and ammunition manufactured under license from foreign companies to their countries, and conditionally to third countries.
   For the first such shipments, the government decided to export PAC-2 and PAC-3 surface-to-air guided missiles to the United States.
   Regarding defense equipment developed jointly with other countries, the revision will allow direct transfer of components and technologies to third countries. The transfer of finished products was not included this time, due to opposition from Komeito, the junior member of Japan's ruling coalition.
   The government has agreed with Britain and Italy to jointly develop their next fighter jets, and aims to reach a conclusion on the transfer of finished products by the end of February, before the three countries begin negotiations in earnest.
   Before the revision, exports of defense equipment produced under foreign license were limited to those of components to the United States. The revision expanded the scope to include exports to countries other than the United States and those of finished products. Japan will also allow importing countries to transfer such defense equipment to third countries, except those in conflict.