Philippines, Japan sign defense equipment deal, eye expanded security cooperation

MANILA, May 6 ------ The Philippines and Japan signed a new agreement to advance the transfer of defense equipment and technology, as both countries moved to further strengthen defense ties amid a more complex regional security environment.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi formalized the deal following bilateral talks, committing to expand cooperation across policy, operations, and defense capability development. “Under this new framework for the transfer of defense equipment, Secretary Teodoro and I signed today a statement on the further promotion of defense equipment and technology cooperation,” Koizumi said.

He said both sides agreed to establish a joint working group and advance discussions toward broader cooperation, including training, maintenance, operational coordination, information sharing, and proper management of transferred equipment, with a view to future transfers of assets such as Abukuma-class destroyers and additional TC-90 aircraft.

Teodoro welcomed the agreement and signaled Manila’s readiness to implement it swiftly. “We were very happy to work with Japan in creating demonstrable results at the soonest possible time,” he said. He also stressed the importance of protecting sensitive defense information to ensure interoperability and security between both countries.

The agreement builds on growing defense ties following the implementation of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which has enabled more advanced joint activities. Koizumi pointed to Japan’s expanded participation in Balikatan 2026, where around 1,400 Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel joined this year, compared to about 140 previously, allowing for more complex training activities.

He is set to observe the exercises alongside Teodoro, highlighting what he described as a new phase in bilateral cooperation. Teodoro defended the conduct of the exercises amid criticism from some sectors. “If they view our defense exercises and our resilience exercises as playgrounds, I do not really see the maturity for them to advocate such. If they do not realize the purpose then they are either mouthpieces of something else or allies of people who’s interests are contrary to our Philippine security interests and for the development, the resilience of our exclusive economic zone," Teodoro said. He also assured that safety measures are in place: “If ever a missile is fired, we make sure that there is no, no damage to anyone. Unlike other countries that keep on launching missiles and landing elsewhere.”

Both sides reaffirmed their opposition to coercive actions in disputed waters, including the South China Sea. “Secretary Teodoro and I reaffirmed our strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea,” Koizumi said. Meanwhile, Teodoro responded sharply when asked about recent statements from Beijing. “The more aggressive they are, that is a sign of their ineffectiveness and frustration because they're not getting their contrite message across. The Filipinos are really a mature and mis calibrated audience on the part of the Chinese,” said Teodoro. He also emphasized the importance of partnerships in maintaining regional deterrence. “No one country can do deterrence and the more partners that are converged, that's why the message earlier was convergence, the stronger we are,” Teodoro said.

On the specifics of the agreement, Teodoro said technical groups are already working on the details of potential transfers. "The next steps will be, well there are groups already finalizing details of potential transfers. And I, and there will be future domain awareness, as you know, we have already received coastal radars and we are looking to also enhance our domain awareness in terms of radars. And we are in discussion phase for that. And we need it as soon as possible," he explained. He clarified that initial transfers are expected to be grants, while future acquisitions may include purchases: “Yung transfer initially, yung transfer ay bigay. Pero ngayon pwede rin tayo bumili ng defence equipment kasi hindi na sila constrained na mag-transfer.”

Teodoro also said the Philippines is exploring expanded maritime capabilities and improving domain awareness systems, while noting that infrastructure upgrades will be needed to support larger assets. Koizumi also paid a courtesy call on Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier in the day, where both sides discussed advancing bilateral defense cooperation.

Teodoro described the meeting as aligned with Manila’s strategic direction, saying: “There was a clear consensus on our way going forward, even details and specifics.” As regional tensions persist and global security challenges evolve, both countries underscored the importance of sustained cooperation. “Cooperation between Japan and the Philippines as strategic partners is becoming ever more important,” Koizumi said.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com