Bilateral Anti-Piracy Training with EU Maritime Force and Republic of Korea Navy

On July 16th and 17th, the JMSDF’s JS Onami, assigned to the 36th Deployment Surface Force for Counter Piracy Enforcement, conducted a bilateral training in the west of the Gulf of Aden with the Spanish Navy frigate "Santa Maria" belonging to the EU Maritime Force, and with "Dae Jo Yeong," a Korean Navy destroyer respectively.

With "Santa Maria," JS Onami conducted a variety of training to be prepared mainly for piracy cases, such as anti-surface firing and responding to small vessels in close proximity. With "Dae Jo Yeong," JS Onami conducted communications training.

The Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, where the deployment surface force is implementing its activities, are important areas through which approx. 19,000 vessels, including 1,700 Japan-related vessels, pass annually. Against the backdrop of increasing number of incidents caused by pirates armed with machine guns, rocket launchers and other weapons, the JSDF has deployed destroyers to provide escort for private vessels navigating in these waters since March 2009. On top of that, in order to deal with piracy in such vast maritime areas more effectively, the JSDF has also dispatched fixed-wing patrol aircraft to conduct warning and surveillance operations against any suspicious situations.