Japan Times reports that one of the country’s two Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels currently on patrol tasked with anti-piracy duties in the region will take part in a combined drill involving US naval assets.
The paper cited a Japanese government source as saying that the move was intended to raise Japan’s profile on the international stage, and that it would be the first time a MSDF vessel stationed in the area had taken part in such an exercise.
The country currently has two vessels on taking part in anti-piracy operations in the GoA/Indian Ocean region.
