US State Dept OKs potential sale of 400 Tomahawk missiles to Japan, Pentagon says

PHOTO CAPTION: The U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey fires a Tomahawk land attack missile April 14, 2018. U.S. Navy/Lt. j.g Matthew Daniels/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) -The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of 400 Tomahawk missiles and related equipment to Japan in a deal valued at $2.35 billion, the Pentagon said on Friday.

The sale comes as U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed on Wednesday to open a presidential hotline, resume military-to-military communications, and work to curb fentanyl production, showing tangible progress in their first face-to-face talks in a year.

The package would include 400 Tomahawk missiles, 14 Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control Systems, software, support equipment, spares and technical support, the Pentagon said.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Friday.

Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.

The Pentagon said Raytheon is the principal contractor for the weapons.

(Reporting by Mike Stone, Ismail Shakil and Costas Pitas; editing by Jonathan Oatis)