Vice Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, Commander-in-Chief Self-Defence Fleet, Japan Self Defence Force, visited Vice Admiral Miller, Commander Combined Maritime Forces, and Commodore Simon Ancona, Deputy Commander Combined Maritime Forces, Bahrain, June 18.
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Commodore Simon Ancona, Deputy Commander Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Admiral John Miller, Commander Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, His Excellency Shigeki Sumi, Japan Ambassador to Bahrain, Rear Admiral Kevin Scott, Deputy Commander US Naval Force Central Command.
As Commander of the deployed Japanese counter-piracy force in the Somali Basin and the Gulf of Aden, Vice Adm Kawano visited to see how Japanese military assets are assisting Combined Maritime Forces in the counter-piracy mission.
Japan deploys two Maritime Patrol Aircraft, based in Djibouti, and two warships to support the international counter-piracy effort as well as contributing a Senior Naval Representative based in the CMF Headquarters as a liaison officer.
Cdr Koji Kondo, Japan Senior Naval Representative to CMF said of the visit: “There were discussions about Japan’s contribution to counter-piracy. Vice Adm Kawano’s visit was successfully completed, ably assisted by all those at CMF.”
The visit also coincided with the CTF 151 Change of Command Ceremony which Vice Adm Kawano took the opportunity to attend onboard RFA Fort Victoria.
Vice Admiral Kawano previously visited CMF in 2003.
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) 