Japan donates 11 brand new coastal radar stations intended for Southern Philippines

Japan is proving time and time again to be Philippines closest ally in this part of the planet.

Since the start of the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Japan has shown and has actually made giant strides in improving its ties with the Philippines, the country played host to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a couple times, and the President has also visited Japan twice during the first year of his term.

And during that time, the relationship has been strengthen, Japan has matched if not exceeded China’s foreign assistance with respect to governments Build Build Build infrastructure program and is silently giving the country the needed muscle to fully equip the Armed Forces of the Philippines.   *

For illustration purposes only, a coastal radar surveillance system (photo credit to owner)

Japan has donated five Beechcraft TC-90 King Air training airplanes, capability of the TC-90 with respect to range in kilometers is twice as the flight range of the existing surveillance aircraft in the Philippine inventory. Indeed this was considered a very much welcome addition to the Philippine Air Force inventory, the TC-90 surveillance plane has the capability to conduct surveillance, monitoring, and search-and-rescue missions over the country’s maritime domain. And just last August of 2017, Reuters made a report that Japan will give thousands of helicopter parts to keep the Philippine UH- 1 utility helicopters airborne.

Reuters stated that the donation was a “Military diplomacy is a new means for Japan to confound China's bid for control in the bitterly contested South China Sea as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks a regional military role amid a retreat from decades of state pacifism.”

And the generosity of the Japanese to the Philippines seems has no end for this administration.

Jane’s website has published an article titled “Japan to assist with establishment of 11 new radar stations across southern Philippines.

The website has given to key points as to why Japan is helping the Philippines in this aspect:

1.       Japan is providing Manila with resources to establish 11 new coastal radar stations across southern Philippines; and

2.       Move aims to secure major shipping lanes that connect the Sulu Sea, with the Celebes Sea and the Pacific Ocean.    *

The Japanese government takes note of the security along a notorious sea lane known as the Sibutu Passage, and that to help the Philippines secure the area it has agreed to donate much needed equipment's and systems for eleven (11) new radar stations that will be constructed across the southern Philippines.

The agreement was reached under a government-to-government scheme, with equipment and systems likely to be acquired from Japanese electronics company Furuno, said Lieutenant Al-Hafidz Bih, assistant deputy chief of Coast Guard Staff for Intelligence, Security and Law Enforcement, of the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG), in an interview with Jane’s on 17 January.

 

Report from Janes