Japan Offers Joint Ship Production to Accomodate Country's Regulation

15 Mei 2021

Kumano class FFM frigate (image : T_AH19)

Joint Production of Ships with Indonesia Strengthening Security Cooperation for the JMSDF Prototype

It was revealed on the May, 11th that the Japanese government is aiming to receive orders for ships from Indonesia using a "joint production" method based on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's escort ships. Under the three principles of defense equipment transfer formulated in 2014, "export" can only be permitted for equipment used for rescue and alert surveillance, and in order to transfer a escort ship capable of lethal, it must be joint production, not export. This is because it is difficult to admit. It will be the first time if joint production of ships is realized.

Japan, Italy and Turkey are competing for orders for the transfer of ships to Indonesia. If Japan receives an order, through joint production, it will be possible to strengthen security cooperation with Indonesia, which is a major power of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and is exposed to the intimidation of China in the South China Sea.

The prototype of the joint production with Indonesia is the JMSDF's new escort ship "FFM," whose first ship is scheduled to be commissioned in March next year. In addition to anti-submarine warfare, anti-aircraft warfare, and naval battle, it also has anti-aircraft warfare functions.

In the three principles of defense equipment transfer that paved the way for overseas transfer of equipment, it is assumed that exports can be permitted for equipment for the purposes of (1) rescue (2) transportation (3) vigilance (4) surveillance (5) minesweeping. The air defense radar contracted with the Philippines as the first domestically produced "finished product export" in August last year applies to vigilance and surveillance. For ships, rescue ships and transport ships can be allowed to be exported, but escort ships equipped with naval artillery are not allowed.

On that basis, it was decided that the escort ship could be transfered  if it was jointly developed or jointly produced without limiting the use of the equipment based on the three principles. Joint development will take time to be introduced, and joint production based on the Maritime Self-Defense Force will be applied. Joint production also has the advantage of deepening cooperative relationships over simple exports through technology transfer.

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