The defense ministers of Japan and Indonesia have agreed to start working-level talks on the possible transfer of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers to Indonesia.
Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro and his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, met in Tokyo on Friday.
The ministers welcomed progress in discussions within a working group on the transfer of defense equipment.
They decided to set up the group at their meeting in May, after Tokyo revised its defense equipment and technology transfer framework to allow, in principle, exports of lethal weapons.
Sjafrie expressed interest in MSDF Asagiri-class destroyers, and said he hopes to materialize cooperation on defense equipment and technology, including the transfer of equipment.
The ministers agreed that the working group will begin discussions on education and training, maintenance and sustainment, and operational aspects.
The Asagiri-class is the oldest destroyer class in active service with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. The class entered service in 1988, and eight destroyers have been built. One of them has been retired.
AloJapan.com