Japan is more than doubling the budget for its military aid program, with the Foreign Ministry earmarking ¥5 billion ($33 million) for this fiscal year, compared with ¥2 billion a year earlier, as Tokyo seeks to strengthen the security and deterrence capabilities of like-minded countries amid growing concerns over the regional security environment.
A ministry official also confirmed Monday that the next beneficiaries of Japan’s official security assistance (OSA) framework are likely to be the Philippines, Indonesia, Mongolia and Djibouti.
“We are currently in the process of finalizing discussions (both) within the government of Japan and with the governments of these candidate countries, with a view to providing them with equipment that will contribute to improving security capabilities, such as monitoring and surveillance,” the official said.
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