By Liz Lagniton | 2026-02-20

Japan has formally handed over five coastal surveillance radar systems to the Philippines under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) program, adding new ground-based sensors as Manila works with allies to strengthen maritime domain awareness.

The turnover took place at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on February 11. The two sides finalized plans to deliver the radars, valued at 600 million JPY (about $3.86 million), during then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to Manila in November 2023, Philippine media reported.

The package includes "radar units, surveillance and monitoring equipment, communications systems, and other support components designed to strengthen coastal monitoring and maritime security operations," the Philippine News Agency reported.

At the ceremony, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. described Japan's support as evidence of "mutual trust and sincerity" and said it contributes to a "free and open Indo-Pacific," according to the Philippine News Agency.

In contrast, Teodoro denounced the "transactional" model used by unnamed countries, according to Naval News. He is an outspoken critic of China.

Japanese Ambassador to Manila Endo Kazuya called the radar handover a "meaningful milestone" in the Philippine-Japanese partnership.

"Safety, openness and stability" in the South China Sea are vital for trade and energy flows, he said at the ceremony. "Enhancing the Philippines' maritime domain capability is not only an investment in the Philippines' security, but also a meaningful contribution to regional and global stability."

Manila expects the radars to "expand surveillance coverage, improve early detection and tracking of surface contacts, and enhance coordination in maritime operations," the Philippine News Agency reported last week.

"The integration of these advanced radar systems will bolster the Philippine Navy's capability for early detection, identification, and tracking of maritime activities," the navy said in a statement cited by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Satellites might be better

However, an expert observer had his concerns about the value of radars.

Since ground radars are "limited by the curvature of the Earth and the height of the radar," Manila should close coverage gaps by using space-based microsatellites, Rear Adm. (ret.) Rommel Ong, a former Philippine navy officer and now a professor at the Ateneo School of Government in Quezon City, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Manila has one operating civilian microsatellite but failed to develop a military microsatellite before Ong retired in 2019, he said.

Ong suggested some placements for the new radars in Palawan province and on islands in the West Philippine Sea, but noted, "[It's] speculative from my end."

The navy has not disclosed exact deployment sites for operational security, but a service spokesperson said it would install the system at different naval monitoring stations in the second or third week of February.

Sino-Philippine tensions fester

The handover comes as tensions persist in the West Philippine Sea, where China claims broad swaths of maritime territory as its own, even areas within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone. A 2016 arbitral ruling rejected Beijing's expansive claims, but Chinese maritime presence around disputed features has continued.

Japan and the Philippines have expanded defense cooperation beyond equipment transfers, including a Reciprocal Access Agreement signed in 2024 and a new Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement that allows the tax-free provision of supplies and services during joint exercises.

Japan's OSA program is intended to support like-minded partners as security challenges intensify, Ambassador Endo said at the handover ceremony. He highlighted Japan's trust in the Philippines since the launch of OSA in 2023.

The Philippines is the only country to receive OSA support from Japan for three consecutive years, he noted.