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Japan to Send Warship, Aircraft to Middle East to Protect Shipping
(Reuters) Kiyoshi Takenaka - Japan will send a helicopter-equipped destroyer and two P-3C patrol planes to protect Japanese ships in the Middle East, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Japan's top government spokesman, said on Friday. "It is very important to make sure Japan-related ships can sail safely in the Middle East, the world's major source of energy," he said. In May and June, there were several attacks on international merchant vessels in the region, including the Japanese-owned tanker Kokuka Courageous, which the U.S. blamed on Iran. If there are any emergencies, a special order would be issued by the Japanese defense minister to allow the forces to use weapons to protect ships in danger. Japan, which has maintained friendly ties with Iran, opted to launch its own operation rather than join a U.S.-led mission to protect shipping in the region. A European operation to ensure safe shipping in the Gulf will also get underway next month, when a French warship starts patrolling there.