The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday, May 10, welcomed moves by Japan to loosen restrictions on defense exports as Manila pushes ahead with military modernization amid continuing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Philippine Navy (PN) reservist and retired rear admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the AFP spokesperson for WPS, said the Philippines is open to acquiring more equipment not only from the United States but also from Japan.

“There are other moves where capabilities may reach us through foreign military sales, not only from the United States but more recently from Japan as well,” Trinidad said.

“They have moves to allow the export of weapons systems that were previously prohibited under their constitution. We welcome all these moves,” he added.

Trinidad made the remarks days after the conclusion of this year’s Balikatan exercises between Filipino and American troops. The annual drills have expanded in recent years and now include more advanced weapons systems, cyber defense operations, and interoperability exercises.

Japan, which joined Balikatan combat drills for the first time, has steadily deepened security ties with the Philippines as both countries confront growing Chinese activity in disputed waters.

Tokyo previously provided patrol vessels to the Philippine Coast Guard and has been discussing possible transfers of larger naval assets and surveillance aircraft to Manila, such as the Abukuma-class destroyer escorts and TC-90 aircraft.

The United States, meanwhile, earlier approved the possible sale of Bell 505 helicopters for $150 million to the Philippines as part of efforts to improve the country’s air mobility and disaster response capabilities.

Meanwhile, Trinidad said some of the assets used during the recently concluded Balikatan drills may stay for future exercises.

“If you notice, the exercises are continuous. After Balikatan, there are forthcoming exercises. Before Balikatan, we had Salaknib, so our training is continuous, unlike in the past when there would be a long period without exercises after Balikatan. But now our military is more prepared because after three weeks there will be another exercise,” he said.

“Some of the equipment used during Balikatan will remain in-country and may only be transferred to another location for the next exercise,” he added.

Trinidad also defended the AFP modernization program against criticism from groups accusing the government of provoking conflict with China.

“You know, the answer to that is simple: if you want peace, you should be prepared for war,” he said.

“That is part of a modern military. As the US says, ‘peace through strength.’ It is part of the mandate of the armed forces to train in times of peace and to serve as a deterrent against any country that seeks to cause trouble for us,” he stressed.

The AFP has been ramping up maritime monitoring operations while Chinese vessels continue to operate near Philippine-held features in the WPS.

From April 1 to 30, the PN monitored 21,052 vessels inside the country’s exclusive economic zone. Of the total, 3,528 were local vessels while 17,524 were foreign ships.

The AFP said 14,343 vessels responded to radio challenges while 6,709 did not.

Trinidad said the military also monitored 62 Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard vessels near four key areas in the West Philippine Sea during the same period.

These included 24 vessels near Bajo de Masinloc, 12 near Ayungin Shoal, 17 near Escoda Shoal, and nine near Pag-asa Islands.

“These figures underscore the continued ICAD [illegal, coercive, aggressive, deceptive] activities that undermine the rules-based international order and constitute a blatant attempt to erode the Philippines’ territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights,” Trinidad said.