DavidWoods
Two Japanese reconnaissance planes from the Middle East traveled to the intelligence gathering mission to support the cargo defense operation.
The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) P-3C detachment squad today left Naha Air Base on Okinawa Island to Djibouti. Border duties are expected to last for a year and may be extended if approved by the Japanese cabinet.
JMSDF P-3C Reconnaissance Photo: Airliners.
The two aircraft will patrol in the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden and the area north of the Arabian Sea starting January 20, gather intelligence for anti-piracy operations and issue warnings about potential threats to Japanese shipping companies. In addition to the P-3C squadron, the destroyer JS Takanami will also depart for the area on 2 February.
Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said the deployment was important, marking the first time Tokyo sent a unit to patrol waters far from the country. He also called for increased coordination of activities with international forces present in the Middle East and North Africa.
Japan has refused to join the US-proposed coalition of the Middle East maritime patrol, and said JMSDF forces would not operate in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf to ensure friendly relations with Iran. Tokyo insists it will only use military power to protect Japanese cargo ships in an emergency.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have escalated since 2018, when US President Donald Trump announced his withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed sanctions that weakened Iran's economy. Japan, which stopped buying oil from Iran because of US sanctions, wants to see stability in the Middle East, the region that exports large amounts of oil to Tokyo.
Several international commercial vessels were attacked in the Middle East in May and June 2019, including the Japanese oil tanker Kokuka Courageous. The United States accuses Iran of being behind the attacks, but it denies it. The plan to send forces to the Middle East was formulated by the Japanese government to allow the deployment of troops abroad to research and gather intelligence.
