Manila is expected to decide in the near future whether to proceed with efforts to acquire used warships from Japan, after Philippine Navy experts returned home following an inspection of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Abukuma-class destroyer escorts.
"The joint visual inspection team is now back from their 10-day assessment of the warships in Japan and will pass on their recommendations to Navy Headquarters and then the Department of Defense in Manila,” a senior Philippine government official told The Japan Times, noting a decision is set to be made “over the coming months.”
Tokyo is looking to transfer Abukuma-class vessels to the Philippines as part of broader efforts to boost the defense capabilities of like-minded neighbors amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.