By Focus and AFP | 2026-05-11

MANILA -- Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has pledged to upgrade military cooperation with the Philippines, aiming for the "early transfer" of Abukuma-class destroyer escorts to the archipelago nation.

During a May 5 visit to Manila, Koizumi said coordination between Japan and the Philippines was becoming increasingly important "as the international situation grows ever more complex and tense," according to the Asahi Shimbun.

The two countries have drawn increasingly close in recent years over shared concerns about Chinese territorial claims, including by signing a reciprocal access agreement that allows troop deployments on each other's territory.

Speaking alongside Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, Koizumi said the two countries would create a working group focused on defense equipment. He had signed a separate defense pact with Indonesia a day earlier.

"We agreed to move forward with discussions aimed at realizing comprehensive equipment cooperation ... with a view to the early transfer of Abukuma-class destroyer escorts and TC-90 aircraft as well as other defense equipment," Koizumi said.

Teodoro later told reporters that the destroyer escorts are expected to be donated rather than purchased, though he did not specify the number of vessels involved.

He described the transfer as a "giveaway" and said the Philippines also would "be able to buy defense equipment" following Japan's recent policy pivot.

However, Japanese media suggest that providing the vessels for free or at a steep discount would require additional changes to national self-defense laws.

Defense shift

If realized, the deal would mark a landmark shift in Japan's postwar defense posture. Naval News reported that it would be the first export of lethal equipment under the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, which Tokyo updated on April 21.

The short timeline underscores urgency. Following an initial inspection by the Philippine military in 2025, both governments have established a dedicated working group to formalize the deal, with delivery possible as early as next year.

The six-ship Abukuma class, commissioned between 1989 and 1993, displaces about 2,000 tons and is equipped with a 76mm main gun, antiship missiles, antisubmarine rockets and torpedoes -- capabilities suited to coastal patrol and low-intensity maritime operations in the Philippines' archipelagic environment.

Capability gap

The transfer would address a significant capability gap. While China operates more than 400 naval vessels, the Philippine navy fields only a limited number of modern surface combatants, centered on two José Rizal-class frigates, Naval News reported. Used platforms such as the Abukuma class can fill the breach until the Philippines obtains new warships.

The strategic stakes extend beyond Japanese-Philippine ties. By boosting the Philippines' patrol capacity, Japan aims to help secure the Bashi Channel, a vital transit route for its energy imports. According to Naval News, the move would reinforce a joint defensive perimeter stretching from Japan and Taiwan to the Philippines.

China has deployed navy and coast guard vessels in a bid to block the Philippines from strategic reefs and islands in the South China Sea, leading to a string of confrontations. Beijing claims the crucial waterway almost in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Koizumi reiterated Japan's opposition to the use of "force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea," citing what he called an "increasingly tense regional environment."

Tokyo has been a key financier of Philippine efforts to modernize its South China Sea patrol craft and maritime surveillance systems. Earlier this year, the two countries signed a fuel and ammunition resupply agreement.

Koizumi's visit came just weeks after Tokyo eased decades-old arms export rules in a major policy shift.

The Philippines is said to be interested in Japan's Type 03 medium-range surface-to-air missile, designed to intercept enemy aircraft and cruise missiles, the Asahi Shimbun reported.