Japan aims to double number of military aid recipients this year
Thailand, Sri Lanka, Tonga, East Timor and Papua New Guinea are expected to become the newest recipients of Japanese military aid as Tokyo looks to double the number of countries involved in its official security assistance (OSA) program this fiscal year to eight.
The Foreign Ministry is currently in discussions with these countries, as well as with earlier recipients Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, a government source told The Japan Times on Monday.
The move, the official added, is part of an incremental push to gradually include more countries in the program 'to help maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region.'
It also comes after parliament approved a 60%, or ¥3 billion, year-on-year increase in OSA funding, raising the budget to ¥8 billion ($54.6 million) for fiscal 2025, as Japan seeks to strengthen the security capabilities of 'like-minded' countries amid growing concerns over the regional security environment.
The hike in OSA spending was the third straight since the program was launched in 2023 with an initial ¥2 billion budget. The program marked a break with Tokyo's previous policy of avoiding the use of development aid for military purposes.
As OSA funds increase, so too will Japan's efforts to boost the number of countries it assists, with those already part of the program expected to receive larger grants going forward, the official added.
Asked which types of equipment will be provided this year, the official said this is still being worked out with candidate countries.
'What I can say at this point though is that overall there are growing requests for drones, larger vessels for rescue missions and heavy construction machinery for use in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations,' the official added, without specifying countries.
The OSA expansion comes after Fiji recently became the first-ever recipient of equipment provided through the military aid framework. The South Pacific island nation received on May 26 the first of three batches of equipment requested in fiscal 2023, including an underwater camera unit, a rescue boat and a water-rescue training doll.
The second batch, which includes a rescue boat, is slated for delivery later this year, as are surveillance drones requested by Malaysia and coastal surveillance radars sought by the Philippines the same year.
Next year will see Japan provide the third batch of equipment to Fiji, comprising one rescue and three patrol boats, while Bangladesh is due to receive patrol boats.
First announced in December 2022's revised National Security Strategy, OSA has been promoted as an expansion of Japan's foreign aid frameworks, but it is separate from the Foreign Ministry's official development assistance program. It is designed to cover projects 'for the benefit of armed forces and other related organizations.'
That said, OSA cannot be used to provide just any military equipment, as the program must also abide by Japan's strict arms export controls.
Contracts for OSA projects have so far all gone to Japanese companies, and this is likely to remain the case unless they are unable to provide specific equipment or parts.
While the program provides grants for equipment, infrastructure and initial training, maintenance or repair costs must be covered by the partner country.
Although not OSA's top priority, there are also hopes that the program could inspire partner nations to eventually purchase Japanese defense products.
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