Self-Defense Forces patrol aircraft departed for the Middle East today Information gathering from January 20 5:23 on January 11
Following an order to dispatch the SDF to the nervous Middle East, two patrol aircraft will leave Japan on the 11th. The patrol aircraft will begin gathering information from 20th of this month to ensure the safety of Japanese vessels.
As tensions in the Middle East continued, Defense Minister Kono ordered the dispatch of one SDF destroyer and two patrol aircraft on the 10th.
In response, two P3C patrol aircraft at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Naha Air Base in Okinawa Prefecture are scheduled to depart on the 11th, and Minister Kono has also instructed at Naha Base to postpone departure.
In order to ensure the safety of Japanese-affiliated vessels, information gathering activities will be started on June 20 from Djibouti in eastern Africa, mainly on the Gulf of Aden, to check for suspicious vessels.
Also, on February 2, a escort ship “Takanami” equipped with a helicopter will depart from Yokosuka Base in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Regarding the dispatch, Minister Kono stated, "We need to strengthen information gathering because tensions are rising," and said that it was necessary to secure stable imports of crude oil and natural gas. Stressed.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have argued that `` the situation has changed and the dangers are high, and the dispatch should be discontinued, compared to the time of the Cabinet decision at the end of the year, '' and the closing parliamentary review on 17th next week and the ordinary Diet convening on 20th It is expected that the discussion will take place.