Blue light on the deployment of Japanese troops in the Middle East

The Japanese government today gave green light to deploy a military force in the Middle East waters tasked with obtaining information to ensure the safety of the region's maritime routes , the key to the oil supply of Japan.

The mission was approved on Dec. 27 and the Department of Defense issued a deployment order on Friday. It would include the Takanami and two P-3C patrol aircraft, as well as over 200 troops.

"Energy is essential for the lives of citizens and economic activities of the country, it must be assured," the Secretary of Defense Taro Kono said in the report to the reporter after the meeting of the military high-level officials at which the order To deploy.

Takanami, launched in 2001 and headquartered in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, will depart Feb. 02, while P-3C will leave Japan on Saturday, January 11.

The operation of the Mission will, in principle, run from 20 Jan to 26th Dec. 2020.

Japan had over a hundred P-3C patrol aircraft and previously participated in supervisory duties in the waters near Somalia to oversee maritime piracy activities.

The Department of Defense reported Dec. 27 that the deployment will take place in the Gulf of Oman, in the northern Arabian Sea and in the vicinity of the Bab al Mandeb Strait strategically, which enters the Red Sea from the south.

The Japanese government has emphasized that the goal of this mission is to "gather information" in order to protect the maritime route from the Middle East, from which Japan imports 90% of the oil it consumes.

Due to the recognition of the missions, it is enough with government approval and is not subjected to parliamentary oversight.

The Japanese Constitution, adopted after World War II, corrected in article 9 harmony of the country and the states in which Japan "abandoned the war permanently" to resolve his international dispute.

The mission of Japan is independent of the activities of a multinational force led by the United States, which is its main goal to ensure the route of the Strait of Hormuz.

It was the Castrense alliance that created criticism from Tehran, who maintained friendly relations with Tokyo.

The deployment of this Japanese force and the areas where it will focus was discussed between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Iranian president Hasan Rohani at their meeting in Tokyo on Dec. 20.

Japanese government decisions were known after several raids on oil transports in the Persian Gulf in May 5 and 6 months. One of the ships was operated by a Japanese shipowner. EFE