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View all search resultsHow Japan is boosting defense cooperation with Southeast Asia
As Tokyo modernizes its Indo-Pacific strategy, a wave of new defense pacts and potential submarine exports marks a bold shift in Japan's military partnerships across Southeast Asia.
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Strong together: Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (left) and Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi inspect the honor guard on May 4 during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry office in Jakarta. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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n May, Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visited Indonesia and the Philippines before participating in the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore at the end of the month. Throughout these engagements, Koizumi articulated Japan’s defense policy to the international community and underscored Tokyo's commitment to deepening ties with Southeast Asian nations.
This diplomatic push can also be viewed as an effort by Japan to support the United States military presence in the region at a time when Washington is increasingly shifting its focus toward the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.
Notably, discussions were held with the Philippines regarding the potential export of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) soon-to-be-retired Abukuma-class destroyers. Additionally, Japan established a joint working group with Singaporean defense authorities to foster cooperation in the defense industry and technological infrastructure.
Japan’s defense cooperation in Southeast Asia has focused heavily on maritime and island nations. In particular, Tokyo has established "two-plus-two" (2+2) ministerial-level dialogue frameworks for defense and foreign affairs with both Indonesia (since 2015) and the Philippines (since 2022).
Japan attaches immense strategic importance to its 2+2 partner nations. These relationships unlock advanced levels of security cooperation, including the transfer of defense equipment. Indonesia was the first Southeast Asian nation to establish this framework with Japan, with their third and most recent 2+2 meeting held in November 2025.
This momentum carried into the following year. On March 31, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited Japan. During the visit, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi affirmed that Japan would continue assisting the Indonesian Military (TNI) through Official Security Assistance (OSA), focusing heavily on maritime security and boosting the capabilities of Indonesia's maritime law enforcement agencies.
Following up on this state-level commitment, Defense Minister Koizumi met with his Indonesian counterpart, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, on May 4. The two ministers signed the Japan-Indonesia Defense Cooperation Arrangement, which significantly expands upon the original 2015 Memorandum of Understanding.
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