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Japan to expand security aid to 12 Indo-Pacific nations
Tokyo has more than doubled its security assistance programme to US$114 million in a strategic push
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Japan plans to provide defence equipment and other supplies to the armed forces of at least 12 like-minded countries under its Official Security Assistance programme in the current financial year, up from eight countries the previous year, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The military of Kenya, which sits on the western Indian Ocean, is expected to be a first-time recipient under the programme, with the Japanese government seeking to strengthen maritime security cooperation, particularly in surveillance and monitoring, amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan selects recipient countries each financial year. The government has allocated about 18.1 billion yen (US$114 million) for the security assistance programme in the year ending March 2027, more than double the roughly 8 billion yen set aside for the last financial year.
In July, the foreign ministry decided to provide Cambodia’s military with communications equipment and patrol boats. Japan also plans to work with Australia to help Fiji build military facilities.
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