On November 15, Japan transferred four patrol ships to Bangladesh to strengthen its response to regional security fluctuations.
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| The defense cooperation program under the Official Security Assistance (OSA) framework will help Japan and Bangladesh cope with challenges in regional maritime areas. (Source: Navy Recognition) |
The two countries are expected to sign the agreement on November 15 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The ships will be provided under Japan’s Official Security Assistance (OSA), which is equivalent to a grant of about 600 million yen ($3.9 million).
Japan recently agreed to deliver coastal radar equipment to the Philippines under the OSA. Bangladesh is the second country to receive defense equipment under this framework.
Tokyo previously allocated 2 billion yen to the OSA program, which aims to provide direct defense assistance to like-minded countries.
It is known that Malaysia and Fiji are two potential partners of Japan in the framework of OSA in the coming time. This Northeast Asian country currently has agreements on transferring defense equipment and technology with 15 countries.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Bangladesh imports about 70% of its weapons from China. But recently, due to concerns about the quality of military equipment from Beijing, Dhaka has been diversifying its suppliers.
For Bangladesh, adding Japan to the list of suppliers will allow Dhaka to access advanced technology equipment.
As for Japan, the transfer of defense technology to the South Asian region is aimed at countering China, especially in the context of Beijing expanding its influence in the Indian Ocean through its “string of pearls” strategy, which includes a 99-year lease with Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port.
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