A new logistics pact between Japan and the Philippines represents a practical deepening of defense ties with an emphasis on operational effectiveness.
The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which is pending ratification by Japanese legislators, allows for the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when the nations’ troops train together. It supports the implementation of the bilateral 2025 Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which enables the deployment of each nation’s forces to the other’s territory for joint exercises, disaster response and other missions to enhance interoperability.
Retired Philippine Navy Rear Adm. Rommel Ong noted the complexity of deploying defense assets and equipment overseas. For example, under normal conditions, such equipment entering Philippine ports is subject to customs inspection. If equipment sits idle at a port of entry due to processing, it can reduce preparedness and jeopardize coordinated logistical plans.
“Even small delays, like days instead of months, can completely throw off military drills, which are often time-sensitive,” Ong told FORUM.
The ACSA clarifies the rules governing the entry and exit of defense assets, potentially exempting them from certain taxes and regulations when brought in for exercises. That can eliminate bottlenecks.
At the signing ceremony in Manila in January 2026, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro reiterated their nations’ “shared commitment to upholding a rules-based order governed by international law, as well as the importance of resolving disputes peacefully and through dialogue.”
They also “emphasized that the rule of law should apply in the maritime domain, especially the South China Sea, where the freedom of navigation and overflight needs to be upheld and not diminished,” according to a new release.
Japan and the Philippines, both longtime treaty allies of the United States, have territorial disputes with China in the East China and South China seas, respectively.
The ACSA is part of an expansion of security cooperation between Manila and Tokyo. Japan has committed nearly $6 million in Official Security Assistance to support infrastructure and capacity-building for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. That includes initiatives to bolster Manila’s maritime domain awareness and joint readiness, including construction of patrol boat facilities and coastal radar enhancements.
Japanese and Philippine officials say such agreements strengthen interoperability and preparedness amid increasingly severe regional security dynamics.
As such, the ACSA carries broader strategic implications. Ong said the Philippines occupies a critical geographic position in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in relation to the contested waters of the South China Sea and Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as its territory and threatens to annex. The Philippine archipelago, he said, serves as a “point of convergence” because of its proximity to key flash points.
Other Allies and Partners are investing in defense infrastructure projects in the Philippines. Australia is set to begin projects at five military bases on Luzon, the Philippines’ largest island. Under their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, the U.S. maintains rotational access to nine designated sites across the Philippines for joint training, pre-positioning equipment and building facilities to support operational readiness.
Ong said deterrence is represented by “the ability of other U.S. allies and strategic partners like Japan to come to the Philippines.” The credibility of deterrence lies in responsiveness and access, he said, and the easier it is for partners to deploy and operate in Philippine territory, the stronger the signal of preparedness.