A destroyer of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has left for the Middle East to take on an intelligence-gathering mission to ensure the safe navigation of Japan-related vessels in the region's waters.
The Kirisame left Sasebo Base in Nagasaki Prefecture on Sunday after a ceremony that was scaled back due to the coronavirus. The ship has a crew of around 200.
A Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer has begun its mission in the Middle East.
The Takanami left Japan on February 2. On Wednesday, it began intelligence-gathering operations to protect Japan-linked ships sailing through the Gulf of Oman and the northern part of the Arabian Sea.
Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono has given a talk to the crew of a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer that will set out in early February for a mission in the Middle East.
Japan's government issued an order earlier this month to dispatch a destroyer and aircraft to the Middle East for an intelligence-gathering operation designed to safeguard commercial ships with links to Japan.
The Japanese government's top spokesperson has said a Maritime Self-Defense Force ship will receive supplies at a port in the Middle East on waters where an information-gathering mission is planned. But he did not name a specific port.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Wednesday about a government plan to send the destroyer Takanami to the area next month. The ship will gather information to ensure the safety of commercial ships with ties to Japan.