Tokyo has deployed a Kawasaki P-1 patrol aircraft belonging to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to Djibouti to participate in an anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia.
Japan’s military base in Djibouti is the first and, so far, the only overseas military facility operated by the Japan Self-Defense Force. The base opened in July 2011 near Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport, directly adjacent to the American Camp Lemonnier.
The base was established as a result of Japan’s participation in the international operation against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. These waters are of critical importance to Japanese commercial shipping, as they serve as a route for oil supplies to Japan.
The new aircraft has been integrated into the 60th Deployment Air Detachment for Counter-Piracy Enforcement.
Meanwhile, the 59th Air Squadron for Counter-Piracy Operations, from the 2nd Fleet Air Wing in Hachinohe and equipped with P-3C Orion aircraft, is completing its mission.
In 2017, Japan was allowed to expand its leased site, the same year that China’s first overseas military base became operational in Djibouti.
Beijing officially describes this Djibouti facility as a logistics hub for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. In August, China dispatched a new naval group to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to carry out an escort mission.
The new People’s Liberation Army Navy task force consists of the Type 052D guided-missile destroyer Kunming, the Type 054A guided-missile frigate Yueyang and the Type 903A supply ship Luomahu.
There are also dozens of special operations personnel and two helicopters, either Z-8s or Z-18s capable of vertical replenishment, on board.
In 2022, Luomahu made history as the first Type 903A ship to perform a resupply at China’s Djibouti support base, while this deployment marks the Kunming’s first escort mission.
In line with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and ostensibly to safeguard the security of international shipping routes, China has maintained a regular naval escort presence in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters since 2008.
by David Oliver
