PH, Japan eye transfer of first Abukuma-class destroyer 'at the earliest possible date'

The Philippines and Japan are working on transfer of the first Abukuma-class destroyer to the Philippine Navy at the earliest possible date.

In a joint statement after a defense meeting on Wednesday, the two countries said the Japanese warship will be transferred following its expected decommissioning in the coming years.

“Through this transfer, the two Ministers confirmed their intention to deepen comprehensive cooperation encompassing vessel operations, logistics support, human resource development, and information sharing, thereby taking defense cooperation, particularly in the field of maritime security, to a new level,” the joint statement read.

“They further confirmed that such cooperation would make a significant contribution to collaboration with allies and like-minded countries, thereby helping to ensuring peace and stability in the region,” it added.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro said defense authorities from both countries had agreed to pursue the transfer following discussions within a working group established in May.

Based on a report from Japanese media in July 2025, Tokyo is set to export six warships to the Philippines.

Teodoro and Koizumi also agreed to provide the necessary education and training for Philippine Navy personnel before the transfer and to cooperate closely on the vessel's maintenance and sustainment.

The planned transfer is expected to deepen Philippines-Japan defense cooperation, particularly in maritime security, through collaboration in vessel operations, logistics support, human resource development, and information sharing.

Teodoro and Koizumi said the cooperation would also contribute to collaboration with allies and like-minded countries, helping promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The announcement came as the Philippines and Japan reaffirmed their opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea (SCS).

They also expressed serious concerns over China's increasingly frequent and extensive coercive activities in the waters and airspace surrounding Japan, as well as its dangerous and coercive actions against the Philippines in the South China Sea.

The two countries further committed to strengthening their bilateral defense ties under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and advancing efforts toward a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

Meanwhile, the defense officials also agreed to discuss operational and maintenance arrangements for the transfer of a TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines by the end of Japan's fiscal year 2027.

They also agreed to accelerate discussions on defense equipment and technology cooperation, including efforts to strengthen the production base for defense equipment.

The Philippines and Japan have expanded military cooperation through joint exercises and agreements, including the Reciprocal Access Agreement and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, which took effect in July 2026.

The Philippines is hosting the 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the 13th ADMM-Plus on October 28 and 29 in Cebu.

ADMM is ASEAN's highest defense consultative and cooperative mechanism, according to the Department of National Defense (DND).

The ADMM-Plus expands defense cooperation to eight dialogue partners including Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States. —VAL, GMA News