Japan plans to expand its Official Security Assistance program in fiscal 2026 to provide defense equipment and supplies to at least 12 like-minded countries, up from eight nations the previous year, according to reports. The government has allocated approximately 18.1 billion yen ($114 million to $116 million) for the program in the year ending March 2027, more than double the roughly 8 billion yen set aside for fiscal 2025, as Tokyo seeks to strengthen maritime security cooperation and counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Expansion of the Official Security Assistance Program
The security assistance initiative, launched in fiscal 2023 with four nations receiving about 2 billion yen, continues to scale up under the administration. Kenya is expected to be a first-time recipient under the program as Japan targets maritime security cooperation, particularly in surveillance and monitoring along the western Indian Ocean. Other nations under consideration for fiscal 2026 include the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, East Timor, and Palau.
The current fiscal year already encompasses 12 nations, including Mongolia and various Pacific island nations. In July, the Foreign Ministry decided to provide Cambodia’s military with communications equipment and patrol boats. Furthermore, Japan plans to work alongside Australia to help Fiji build military facilities.
Equipment Types and Defense Industry Goals
Japan is considering supplying completed defense equipment, though it excludes items defined under the Self-Defense Forces Law as weapons intended to kill or destroy. Past deliveries have primarily focused on dual-use equipment and supplies, such as patrol boats and coastal surveillance radar systems. For the upcoming fiscal year, the doubled budget will allow for the delivery of advanced radar equipment and other items to more than a dozen nations.
A high-ranking Foreign Ministry official said that recipient nations are trying to protect themselves amid the struggles between the United States and China, noting that assisting them benefits Japan. The government also anticipates that broader deployment of Japanese-made equipment will help expand the country’s domestic defense industry overseas.
Broader Foreign Policy and ODA Budget Increases
Alongside the defense aid expansion, Japan’s Official Development Assistance to developing nations will increase in the fiscal 2026 budget for the first time in five years. The budget allocates 449.7 billion yen, an overall increase of 11.7 billion yen from the current fiscal year. A Foreign Ministry source said that the ODA increase reflects intentions to strengthen cooperation with the Global South following the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. Combined, these initiatives push the Foreign Ministry’s total budget request for the next fiscal year to a record 817 billion yen.
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