TOKYO: Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force will fly P-3C patrol aircraft mainly over the Gulf of Aden from Tuesday in an information-gathering mission in the Middle East, Defense Ministry officials said Monday.
Based in Djibouti, northeastern Africa, the MSDF unit dispatched for the mission will start its activities aimed at securing safe navigation for vessels related to the Asian country in Middle East waters.
On Monday morning local time, the unit took over the duties of the MSDF's existing unit that engaged in antipiracy activities from its base in Djibouti.
The new unit will take up both the information-gathering and antipiracy missions. The ministry is scheduled to send the MSDF's Takanami destroyer in February for the information-gathering mission.
JIJI Press