Philippines to Accept 5 Destroyers from Japan

Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)–The Philippines has reached a broad agreement with Japan on the transfer of five Abukuma-class destroyers from Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force after their retirement, Philippine National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Tuesday. Speaking to reporters in Manila, Teodoro indicated that the handover is expected to be completed within the next few years, adding that the agreement is a proof of the Japanese government’s goodwill. Tokyo has deepened security cooperation with the Philippines, which is at odds with China over issues in the South China Sea. At a meeting in Singapore in May, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Teodoro agreed to advance talks on transferring Abukuma-class destroyers to the Philippines as soon as possible after they are retired. The destroyers have a standard displacement of about 2,000 tons and are equipped with high-performance machine guns, antiship missiles and torpedo tubes. Teodoro said that the Philippine side is currently assessing the condition of the equipment inside the destroyers, adding that the vessels can be transferred early if their systems are compatible with those used by his country’s military. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]