Japan to give Philippines coastal radar system, drones - NHKニュース

Japan is to provide the Philippines with a coastal radar system and surveillance drones under a security assistance program. It will be the first time Tokyo has supplied finished defense equipment through the program.

Japanese Ambassador Kitagawa Katsuro and Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro signed the agreement at a ceremony in Manila on Monday.

Japan's Official Security Assistance, or OSA, is a framework to provide defense equipment and other supplies to like-minded countries.

The radar system and drones together constitute the largest OSA project to date, with a price tag of 4.3 bilion yen, or about 27 million dollars. Kitagawa said Japan's advanced technology "will be of great help in safeguarding vital sea-lanes" by enhancing the Philippines' maritime domain awareness and surveillance capabilities.

Lazaro said the Philippines and Japan "took the natural and historic step" of further elevating their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Philippines and China have competing territorial claims in the South China Sea, where their vessels have often clashed. The new radar system and drones are expected to improve the Philippines' ability to monitor maritime activity.