From used destroyers and training aircraft to missiles, defense equipment cooperation between Japan and the Philippines is deepening rapidly.
At their meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Behind the move is Manila’s urgent push to modernize its military as China expands its maritime reach in the South China Sea, including constructing artificial islands. If Japan and the Philippines begin operating shared defense equipment, coordination between the two countries would become smoother, helping strengthen regional deterrence.
A Coastal Shield for Manila
On May 6, in Paoay in northern Luzon, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force conducted a live-fire drill using Type 88 surface-to-ship missiles during a large-scale exercise alongside US and Philippine forces.
As Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro looked on side by side, a missile roared into the air and struck a target at sea.
The Type 88 surface-to-ship missile has been deployed with the GSDF since 1988 and has a range of around 100 kilometers.
Japan is now considering exporting the system to the Philippines. For the Philippines, an archipelagic nation of more than 7,000 islands, surface-to-ship missiles capable of blocking approaching vessels from coastal areas could become a key element of island defense.
Japan’s Defense Export Test
The two countries are also holding concrete discussions on the export of Maritime Self-Defense Force Abukuma-class destroyer escorts and TC-90 training aircraft. During their meeting in May, Koizumi and Teodoro agreed to establish a working-level consultation framework to advance exports of equipment, including naval vessels.
In April, the Japanese government revised its Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and related implementation guidelines, opening the door to exports of equipment with lethal capabilities. The planned export of Abukuma-class vessels to the Philippines is expected to become the first such case under the revised rules.
Still, whether Japan can make such exports a regular practice remains an open question. The Abukuma-class transfer may ultimately be provided free of charge as a form of “upfront investment.”
Unless Japanese companies can see a path to profitability, they will have little incentive to enter overseas defense markets. Defense equipment cooperation with the Philippines may therefore become an important test case for the future of the country’s defense industry.
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Author: Shusuke Takenouchi, The Sankei Shimbun
(Read this article in Japanese)
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