Japan’s Abukuma-Class Destroyers Give Philippines Navy Real Firepower in South China Sea Standoff

In a landmark move that reshapes the maritime balance in Southeast Asia, the Government of Japan is reportedly preparing to transfer up to six Abukuma-class destroyers to the Philippine Navy — a gesture that signals both a deepening strategic partnership and a tangible boost to Manila’s limited naval firepower.

While these destroyers are ageing by modern standards — with most built between the late 1980s and early 1990s — they still pack a potent punch in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare that the Philippines urgently needs to strengthen its position in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippine Navy’s fleet has long been constrained by a lack of major surface combatants equipped with credible anti-ship missiles and torpedoes.

Despite commendable modernisation efforts that brought in two Jose Rizal-class frigates from South Korea and upcoming corvettes from Hyundai Heavy Industries, the Navy’s capability gap against China’s increasingly assertive presence in the South China Sea has remained significant.

The arrival of the Abukuma-class destroyers, however, signals a dramatic step forward.

Unlike the older corvettes and World War II-era vessels the Philippines retired years ago, these ships were built with modern sensors, surface-to-surface missile launchers, 76 mm Oto Melara naval guns, and anti-submarine torpedo launchers — features that instantly upgrade Manila’s ability to hold hostile ships and submarines at risk.

Originally commissioned by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) as destroyer escorts (DE), the Abukuma-class are 2,000-tonne ships designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare but flexible enough to carry out surface combat operations.

Each ship is fitted with:

• RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles — a credible long-range punch against enemy surface vessels.

• Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes for lightweight torpedoes — giving the Navy a new layer of undersea warfare capability against encroaching submarines.

• Oto Melara 76 mm rapid-fire gun — suitable for air and surface threats.

• Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) on upgraded variants — adding a last line of defence against incoming missiles or aircraft.

Though the class does not carry a helicopter hangar, they are equipped with a helicopter deck, allowing temporary operations by ASW helicopters — another force multiplier if integrated effectively with the Philippine Navy’s AW159 Wildcat or future rotary-wing assets.

The inclusion of Harpoon anti-ship missiles cannot be overstated.

Unlike gun-only ships or unarmed offshore patrol vessels, these missiles extend the Philippine Navy’s reach, allowing it to threaten or deny access to hostile warships within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

At a time when China’s maritime militia, Coast Guard, and PLA Navy regularly test the resolve of Philippine sovereignty at Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Shoal, an operational Harpoon-equipped force provides a new layer of credible deterrence.

Additionally, the destroyers’ ASW capabilities help plug another gap.

Reports of Chinese Yuan-class submarines operating in waters near Palawan and the Spratlys have raised alarm bells in Manila — especially since the Navy’s ability to detect and prosecute undersea intrusions remains rudimentary.

The Abukuma-class, with their hull-mounted sonar and torpedo launchers, expand the reach of the Philippines’ undersea warfare efforts by several magnitudes.

This transfer is significant for Japan too.

For decades, Japan’s pacifist constitution imposed tight restrictions on arms exports.

Under new defence guidelines approved in 2022, Tokyo can now transfer lethal equipment to countries that contribute to regional peace and security.

The Abukuma-class deal is arguably Japan’s first significant naval export, showcasing its willingness to push back against Chinese expansionism alongside ASEAN partners.

It also complements Manila’s growing trilateral security alignment with Tokyo and Washington, especially after recent Reciprocal Access Agreements (RAA) and planned joint maritime patrols.

Of course, these ships are not without limitations.

They are over 30 years old, and while the JMSDF has meticulously maintained them, the Philippines will still face logistical hurdles: spare parts, munitions stockpiles, Harpoon missile life-extension, and skilled crews to operate and maintain advanced sensors.

Refits, crew training, and sustainment costs will require tens of millions of dollars — but the strategic return on investment is clear.

Beyond Philippine waters, the Abukuma-class deal sends a strong message across the South China Sea.

It demonstrates that Japan, often seen as a silent economic player in ASEAN, is prepared to step up its security footprint.

It also nudges other Southeast Asian states — especially Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia — to pursue similar pathways of capacity-building, whether through used platforms, joint development, or interoperability agreements.

In the grand calculus of regional naval power, six Abukuma-class destroyers will not match China’s sprawling fleet of modern frigates, corvettes, and destroyers.

But they are not meant to.

Instead, they serve as a stop-gap force that empowers the Philippine Navy to fight asymmetrically: to monitor, to respond, and, if necessary, to strike with a level of credibility that changes Beijing’s risk calculus.

In that sense, these ageing ships are more than relics — they are floating symbols of an Indo-Pacific that refuses to stand idly by in the face of coercion.

The transfer of six Abukuma-class destroyers will not transform the Philippines into a maritime superpower overnight.

But it decisively upgrades the Navy’s offensive and defensive punch — bridging the gap until newer frigates, corvettes, and submarines arrive.

And in the unforgiving chessboard of the South China Sea, that extra layer of deterrence could mean the difference between standoff and confrontation.

SNIPPET

Ageing but lethal, Japan’s Abukuma-class destroyers give the Philippine Navy its first credible anti-ship missile and torpedo force to counter Chinese maritime pressure.