When China sent dozens of coast guard and maritime militia vessels to block a civilian protest flotilla from the Philippines, it wasn’t only a show of strength but also a demonstration of how difficult it would be for weaker navies to stand up to Beijing’s naval might. Two days later, the Philippines and Japan finalized their largest maritime security project till now.
Under the project, Tokyo will fund the construction of five large patrol ships for the Philippines Coast Guard. Manila’s resistance to China’s belligerence in the South China Sea has become the face of the world’s open Indo-Pacific policy.
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Enzo Kazuya exchanged notes on the third phase of the Maritime Safety Capacity Improvement Project (MSCIP) during a ceremony today in Manila.
The Philippine government approved the project in 2023 to augment the capability of the Philippine Coast Guard to “respond to threats and incidents within the country’s maritime jurisdiction” with a focus on securing “important sea lines of communication in the West Philippine Sea, Sulu-Celebes Seas, and the Philippine Sea” according to a National Economic and Development Authority release.
The US $507 million project is funded by an Official Development Aid loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Around $425 million will be utilized in constructing five 97-meter-long multi-mission response vessels (MRRV) and a five-year integrated logistics support package.
The patrol vessels are expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2028.
In 2023, Japan’s coast guard, the US, and the Philippines held trilateral maritime exercises in the South China Sea. It was the first such maneuver between them, as concern has been growing about China’s aggressive moves in the region.
Japan has already transferred two vessels – BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702) under the second phase of MSCIP. The ships were constructed at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding’s Shimonoseki Shipyard. Based on the Japan Coast Guard’s Kunigami class, the Teresa Magbanua class weighs slightly more at 2,260 GT and has a hangar for a single helicopter.
