On December 2, 2024, a Japanese government source revealed that Japan would supply specific defense equipment to the Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Djibouti under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) program. This program, launched in April 2023, aims to strengthen the defense capacities of nations that share Tokyo’s strategic values. For the 2024 fiscal year ending in March, the government allocated a budget of 5 billion yen ($33 million) to support these four priority countries.
In 2024, Japan decided to allocate a significant portion of this aid to the Philippines, which faces escalating Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. Tokyo plans to provide advanced maritime surveillance radar systems to Manila to enhance detection and control capabilities in this strategic area. These systems will complement the J/FPS-3 coastal surveillance radar developed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, delivered in 2023, which significantly improved the security of the Philippines’ territorial waters. Amid recurring confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels, these new radars aim to ensure better preparedness and a swift response to incursions.
Mongolia, due to its strategic location between China and Russia, is expected to receive systems including Primary Surveillance Radars (PSR) produced by NEC Corporation, capable of detecting aircraft without transponders, and Secondary Surveillance Radars (SSR), which identify equipped aircraft and provide precise data on their altitude and trajectory. These systems will enable Mongolia to enhance its airspace monitoring capabilities and guard against potential intrusions. Meanwhile, Indonesia and Djibouti could receive Shikishima-class patrol vessels, built by Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU), or equivalent models designed to ensure maritime security and protect strategic trade routes. These vessels aim to counter illegal maritime activities in Indonesian water and strengthen security in Djibouti’s vital maritime corridor.
Since its launch in April 2023, the OSA program reflects a strategic shift in Japan’s international security policy. This proactive initiative aims to bolster the defense capacities of its partners in the face of growing threats, particularly China’s military expansion. Through this targeted assistance, Tokyo reaffirms its commitment to promoting a free and stable Indo-Pacific while consolidating regional alliances in an increasingly tense geopolitical context.
Japan’s arms policy, long defined by a strict pacifist stance, is rooted in Article 9 of its 1947 Constitution adopted after World War II. This article prohibits Japan from using war as a means of resolving international conflicts and restricts its military capabilities to strictly territorial defense. For decades, this approach translated into stringent restrictions on arms exports and an exclusively defensive role for the Self-Defense Forces (SDF).