Japanese warship heads to Middle East to protect tankers
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese warship departed Sunday for the Middle East to ensure the safety of the country's oil tankers in waters where tensions between the U.S. and Iran are high.
The destroyer Takanami with some 200 sailors left Japan's main naval base in Yokosuka, near Tokyo. Its main task is primarily to gather intelligence in the Gulf of Oman and nearby waters.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the waters “a lifeline that supports the lives of the Japanese people." Thousands of Japanese ships ply the route every year, transporting 90% of the country's oil supply, he said.
“Your mission of information gathering is an extremely significant one that directly affects people's lives," Abe told the troops in a televised sendoff ceremony at Yokosuka.
Sending warships to areas of military tension is a highly sensitive issue in Japan because its pacifist post-World War II constitution limits the use of force by the military strictly to self-defense. Abe has gradually expanded Japan’s military role since he took office in late 2012.
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