Japan’s Decommissioned Destroyers Spark International Interest After Arms-Export Reforms
Japan has relaxed its decades-old ban on exporting lethal weapons, allowing defense-partner nations to purchase equipment, though transfers remain tightly controlled. Several countries are reportedly eyeing Japan’s decommissioned destroyers, with the Philippines already tied to a 2025 deal to receive six Abukuma-class escorts to bolster its coast guard amid Chinese activity in the South China Sea.