Japan to Donate 3 Surveillance Planes to Manila

With the growing conflict in the South China Sea, Japan has expressed its desire to donate aircraft to the Philippines. The Philippines, being one involved in the South China Sea dispute has admitted of the lack of competent vessels to patrol the area.

Sources have expressed the knowledge of such plan to Reuters saying that the country is willing to donate its three Beechcraft TC-90 King Air planes. These planes are best fit surface and air surveillance radars. However, there is still a need to conduct several talks for this to happen.

Defense officials in Manila has aired that they had not yet heard about the said plans of Japan. But should this pursue, it would be a great advantage on the part of the Philippines to upgrade military vessels.

They are also aware that the possible donation of these advanced vessels may pose a challenge on the local pilots as these vessels are armed with the new technologies in aircraft which has not yet been popular in the country. It will surely be a tough job training the pilots to run the same aircraft. Plus an added challenge is the need to spend on the fuel which these aircraft take up a lot.

The growing concern of Japan, stems from the fact that the islands in dispute are the same islands where Japanese vessels pass. While the Chinese continually build and reclaim these islands, the passage way of ships are interrupted.

China’s defense ministry has also expressed its view that the cooperation of several countries should promote stability.

Japan on the other hand has expressed its desire in strengthening military partnership with the Philippines and is hopeful that in the future, Japan military bases might also be put up in the country. The purpose of such is to help the country refuel aircraft and resupply naval vessels.

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