Japan and the Philippines signed notes Nov. 9 for a ¥4.3 billion grant to strengthen Philippine maritime surveillance, with Tokyo saying the project will also support security on sea lanes important to Japan.
Japanese Ambassador KITAGAWA Katsuro and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro exchanged the notes in Manila for the FY2026 Official Security Assistance (OSA) project, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The package provides a coastal radar system for the Philippine Navy and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for monitoring and surveillance by the Philippine Air Force.
Japan’s ministry described the South China Sea and Luzon Strait as important sea lanes faced by the Philippines. It said the project is intended to improve the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ maritime awareness and surveillance capabilities, and to contribute to security on sea lanes important to Japan.
The ministry characterized the agreement as OSA’s first project to include a transfer of defense equipment. Japan established the program in April 2023 to provide security assistance to partner countries’ armed forces and related organizations. The ministry says OSA is intended to deepen security cooperation and strengthen recipients’ security and deterrence capabilities, contributing to international peace and security. The framework is separate from Japan’s Official Development Assistance program.
Japan previously signed a ¥600 million OSA grant for coastal radar in the Philippines in November 2023. The Japanese embassy said five systems funded through that project were handed over on Feb. 11, 2026.
The latest announcement does not give an arrival date for the equipment, identify specific models or state how many UAVs the Air Force will receive. The announcement does not provide a separate cost breakdown for the radar and UAVs.
