Philippine defence chief says acquisition of secondhand warships from Japan has been finalised

The secretary added that the condition of each destroyer escort will still be assessed to enable local defence planners to determine the most appropriate way of incorporating the ships into the Philippine Navy's active fleet.

The destroyer escorts were originally designed for coastal patrols and anti-submarine warfare with armament consisting of 76mm naval guns, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine rockets, torpedoes, and Phalanx 20mm close-in weapon systems. However, it remains unclear whether the ships' Harpoon capability will be retained, as secondhand naval surface combatants acquired by the Philippines typically have all their guided missile armament removed prior to transfer.

The Abukuma-class ships will be replaced in JMSDF service by the locally manufactured Mogami-class stealth frigates.