Japan to Export Used Destroyers to Philippines, as Both Countries Look to Counter China on Seas

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, July 7, 2025

Tokyo and Manila have agreed that Japan will export some of its used destroyers to the Philippines, according to Japanese government sources. If the ships are handed over as planned, it will be the first case of destroyers from the Maritime Self-Defense Force being transferred to another country.

Japan’s government aims to improve interoperability with the Philippine military through the export, so that the two countries will be able to strengthen deterrence and more robustly counter China, which has been expanding its show of force on the seas.

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro confirmed the planned export of second-hand destroyers when they met in Singapore in early June.

It is thought that the MSDF’s six Abukuma-class destroyer escorts will be sent to the Philippines.

Abukuma-class destroyers are 109 meters long and displace 2,000 tons of water. The ships, which require a crew of about 120, are equipped with anti-submarine and anti-ship missiles, but they cannot carry helicopters.

These destroyers are relatively small compared to the MSDF’s other destroyers, and they are used to patrol the sea near Japan. Six destroyers in this class were put into commission between 1989 and 1993.

The MSDF needs to replace the destroyers with newer types of warships that can be operated by fewer crew members, since there is a shortage of new recruits. The destroyers were already scheduled to be retired.

According to the sources, Philippine military officers are set to inspect the destroyers this summer. The officers will look at the ships’ main guns and their general condition, and finalize the plan for the export.

The Philippines faces an increasingly bellicose China in the South China Sea, and it is in urgent need of more warships. China’s military has a surface fleet of 102 ships, while the Philippines has only two frigates, according to a report by the U.K.’s International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Under the guidelines for the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, Japan can only export defense equipment when it is intended for rescues, transportations, vigilance, surveillance or minesweeping. It cannot export destroyers, which are designed for warfare, without first modifying them.

However, joint development projects are an exception. Japan is currently working with Britain and Italy on a next-generation fighter jet, and with Australia it is seeking to build a new type of warship based on the design of Mogami-class frigates.

For the second-hand destroyers, Japan plans to turn the export into a joint development project by renovating the ships, installing devices and telecommunication systems sought by the Philippines.

In the future, the Japanese government hopes to export brand-new types of warships.

Japan and the Philippines have been deepening their security ties and have agreed to establish a “quasi-alliace” relationship. At a summit in April, the countries’ leaders agreed to begin talks on an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, which will allow the Self-Defense Forces and the Philippine military to provide food, fuel and other supplies to one another.

The Philippines has been scrapping over territory with China in the South China Sea, and Japan faces an expansionist China in the East China Sea.

If the Philippines deploys warships from Japan, it is expected to allow for greater cooperation between the two countries’ forces. “We will be able to keep the Chinese military in check,” said a senior MSDF officer.