The 45th Deployment Surface Force Counter Piracy Enforcement (DSPE), JS IKAZUCHI conducted an anti-piracy exercise with the EU NAVFOR.

On September 8, 2023, JS IKAZUCHI from the 45th Deployment Surface Force Counter Piracy Enforcement (DSPE) conducted an anti-piracy exercise with the EU NAVFOR, Italian Navy ITS Francesco Morosini in eastern waters of the Gulf of Aden.
This exercise was based on the Administrative Arrangement concerning the Japan-EU joint anti-piracy exercises signed between the Chief of Staff of the Japan Joint Staff and the Commander of Operation Atalanta of the EU NAVFOR in March, 2023.
The Commanding Officer of JS IKAZUCHI, Commander TANAKA Hiroaki said, “Through the exercise, we promoted cooperative relationship with the Italian Navy about counter piracy. We will contribute to ensuring the safe navigation of merchant ships navigating in our operation area through exercises with partner nations’ navies in the Gulf of Aden.”
The Self-Defense Fleet maintains readiness and contributes to peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region and the international community in cooperation with allied and like-minded navies, not only for the defense of Japan, but also for the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.

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