The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) dispatched 3 members of the Mobile Cooperation Team (MCT) to the Philippines for providing capacity-building to PCG under the framework of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 12^th to 25^th, May 2024.
This training corresponds to the context of "continually strengthening cooperation in maritime security through collaboration and cooperation of coast guard agencies" agreed upon at the Japan-US-Philippines summit held in Washington D.C. this April.

(MCT: a special team that provides foreign coast guard agencies with capacity-building on maritime safety and security)

The MCT participated as training instructors in the Boarding Officer Course, which was jointly conducted by the JCG and the USCG, and provided arresting techniques training. Other than the MCT, officers from the PCG, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Royal Thai Marine Police also participated as instructors invited by the USCG. The representatives of the 5 countries collaborated and provided technical support to the PCG officers and the Philippine National Police (PNP) officers.

This assistance was provided as part of the joint initiative "SAPPHIRE" between the JCG and the USCG in conjunction with the support program of the USCG.

The JCG will continue to strengthen its cooperation with other coast guard agencies to realize a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" based on the rule of law. Additionally, the JCG will also actively engage in providing technical assistance to coast guard agencies in the Indo-Pacific region.

US-Japan joint engagements are referred to as SAPPHIRE*, and those to be implemented in 2024 are described as SAPPHIRE24.

*SAPPHIRE: Solid Alliance for Peace and Prosperity with Humanity and Integrity on the Rule of law-based Engagement

Instruction on defense and strike techniques


Explanation of arresting techniques(Hiji-Osae)


Explanation of handcuffing method


Review meeting


Training for on-board inspection


Group photo