Japan to Provide Fiji with Small Patrol Boats under OSA Program; ¥400 million Package Set To Be Announced

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:11 JST, December 16, 2023

Japan plans to provide Fiji with boats for warning and surveillance operations under the Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework, several government sources have said.

Under the framework, Japan is expected to send about ¥400 million of supplies, including small patrol and rescue boats. The framework allows Japan to provide defense equipment and other supplies free of charge to the armed forces of countries with shared values. Fiji is an important country for realizing a “free and open Indo-Pacific” vision advocated by Japan.

Senior government officials from Japan and Fiji are expected to sign the agreement in Suva on Monday.

Fiji will be the first Pacific island nation to receive equipment under the OSA. The country is located near sea lines that connect Japan, Australia and the United States. The envisaged provisions aim to help the country increase deterrence capabilities against China.

The small patrol boats and other equipment to be provided by Japan are set to be used in drills run by the Australian military to train Fiji’s armed forces. Japan and Australia will work together to strengthen the Fijian military’s warning and surveillance capabilities to maintain maritime security in the region.

The arrangement with Fiji will be the fourth time the OSA framework has been implemented since its launch this fiscal year, following the Philippines, Bangladesh and Malaysia.