Japan Plans to Provide Security Assistance to the Philippines and 7 Other Countries, Considering Supply of Japanese Drones

Government sources revealed on Friday that Japan has basically decided to include Thailand, Tonga and 8 other countries as recipients of security assistance under the "Government Capacity Building Support Framework for Security" (OSA) in the fiscal year 2025 budget.

The sources said that the above-mentioned eight countries also include East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The framework aims to provide security assistance to like-minded partners of Japan. The sources also revealed that Japan is considering providing these countries with Japanese-made drones to assist them in carrying out disaster relief and maritime surveillance missions.

According to Kyodo News, Japan allocated 8.1 billion yen (approximately $56 million) in its initial budget for the fiscal year 2025 for OSA assistance, which is higher than the 2 billion yen in fiscal year 2023 and the 5 billion yen in fiscal year 2024.

OSA was established in April 2023 based on the National Security Strategy approved by the Japanese Cabinet in 2022. In the past two fiscal years up to 2024, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia and the Philippines have all received aid from this program.

In May this year, Japan provided a rescue rubber boat and surveillance equipment to the Fijian Navy, marking the first delivery of equipment under the OSA framework. Regarding the overseas transfer of defense equipment, in addition to the OSA framework, the Japanese government revised the "Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment" policy in 2014 to change the embargo policy on defense equipment. In 2023, an anti-aircraft radar was delivered to the Philippines on a paid basis.

The report pointed out that as the conflict between Israel and Iran increases tensions in the Middle East, there are concerns within the Japanese government about the Trump administration's reduced involvement in the Indo-Pacific region. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan stated: "The OSA will continue to be implemented in this region after the fiscal year 2026." The Japanese fiscal year runs from April 1st to March 31st of the following year.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835590032590860/

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