Hanoi (VNA) - Kyodo News, citing informed sources on July 6, reported that Japan is considering exporting used Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers to the Philippines, amid growing security cooperation between the two countries.
Japanese Minister of Defence Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro discussed the plan when they met in Singapore in June, the Japanese source said.
Japan currently adheres to strict guidelines governing the overseas transfer of defence equipment and technology, limiting the export of lethal weapons in line with its pacifist Constitution. However, these restrictions do not apply to joint development or co-production projects with other countries.
The Japanese Government hopes that the transfer of used destroyers to the Philippines will qualify as a form of defence cooperation, as the ships would be modified to meet the specific operational needs of the Philippine side.
The vessel under consideration is the Abukuma-class escort destroyer, which has a standard displacement of 2,000 tonnes, a crew capacity of around 120, and is equipped with anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles, torpedo launchers, and naval guns.
Under its 2022 defence build-up programme, Japan plans to phase out ageing ships with limited upgrade potential./.
