CTF 151 welcomes Japanese Destroyer Ariake to conduct counter-piracy operations
The Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 welcomed the Commanding Officer of JS Ariake, the Japanese Destroyer which has been assigned to work with the task force. Rear Admiral Nejat Inanir, Commander of CTF 151, welcomed the Japanese ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander Ezawa Naritaka, at a meeting at the Bahrain-based headquarters. Japan has an enduring commitment to counter piracy operations, having deployed warships to the Gulf of Aden for many years. These deployments ensure safe transits for commercial merchant vessels passing through the region and the area known as the Maritime Security Transit Corridor. The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force also deploys Maritime Patrol Aircraft in the region to oversee all shipping vessels, providing an early warning system to the nearest warship if any piracy activity is observed. Rear Admiral Inanir said: “I believe that the continuous presence of our forces and wills in critical areas are fundamental…
CMF Chief ACE visits Djibouti

Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Chief Air Coordination Element (ACE) recently visited Djibouti to witness Japanese and Spanish Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) operations.
CCTF 151 recognises the contributions of the JMSDF

CCTF 151 Rear Admiral (RAdm) Cheong visited Captain Shinichi Kawabata, the Commander of the Japanese P3 Deployment Air-force for Counter Piracy Enforcement (DAPE), at the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) facility in Djibouti.
CCTF 151 spends time onboard Japanese Ships

Commander Combined Task Force (CCTF) Rear Admiral (Radm) Ken Cheong, visited CTF 151 units from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).
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Last month the Royal Navy ship, HMS Middleton, worked closely with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) during a mine countermeasures exercise in the Gulf.