Sri Lanka has been named among eight countries expected to receive defence aid from Japan under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme for the fiscal year 2025, according to Japanese media reports.
The proposed aid is aimed at enhancing maritime surveillance and disaster response capabilities, with the assistance package expected to include Japanese-manufactured drones. Alongside Sri Lanka, the other countries listed as potential beneficiaries are Thailand, Tonga, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.
However, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Defence Minister, Major General Aruna Jayasekara, stated that discussions are still in the early stages. “No timelines or next steps have been agreed on because the offer is just starting to get considered and we have just sat down at the table to talk,” he told the Sunday Times.
Japan introduced the OSA programme in April 2023 as part of its strategic initiative to support like-minded countries in bolstering their defence capacities. The move comes amid growing security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region, driven largely by China’s increasing military assertiveness.
In previous years, nations such as Bangladesh, Djibouti, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, and the Philippines have benefited from the OSA programme. Notably, in May, Japan handed over a rescue boat and surveillance equipment to the Fijian Navy—the first delivery made under the OSA framework.
Japan’s proposed budget for fiscal 2025 has allocated 8.1 billion yen (approximately USD 56 million) for OSA-related assistance, marking a significant increase from 5 billion yen in 2024 and 2 billion yen in 2023.
