The OSA, which came into effect in April 2023, is Japan’s new security initiative that centres on assisting ‘like-minded’ countries with military aid amid the escalating regional security environment. The other countries currently included in the OSA are Malaysia, the Philippines and Fiji.
Outside of Tokyo’s ambitions to be a more involved geopolitical actor in the region, what is also apparent in Japan’s security considerations is the shared context in which the selected countries operate.