The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force s Aegis-equipped destroyer Maya
KUALA LUMPUR – The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), the world’s fourth-largest navy, has been patrolling the waters off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden in Africa for the past 10 years to protect Japan-affiliated vessels along this vital sea lane from acts of piracy.
However, there is a role that Malaysia plays in facilitating the deployment of JMSDF personnel that Japan is always thankful for this year alone the servicemen made five transit stopovers at KLIA and Subang Air Base here on their way to their African missions as well as transiting here en route back home at the end of their three-month stints.
Water Wars: Flirting in the Taiwan Strait
USS Barry (DDG 52) conducts routine underway operations in the Taiwan Strait (U.S. Navy photo by LTJG Samuel Hardgrove).
This month saw some notable military activity in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, continued diplomatic efforts by the United States and its partners to push back against China, and a renewed emphasis by the U.S. Navy on countering China’s growing naval power. Much of the analysis regarding the Indo-Asia Pacific in the past month focused on what the incoming Biden administration would mean for the region.
Military Activity
Taiwan Tensions Continue
Japan OKs building of 2 Aegis ships as alternative to on-land system By Reito Kaneko, KYODO NEWS - Dec 18, 2020 - 17:59 | All, Japan
Japan s Cabinet approved Friday the building of two naval vessels equipped with Aegis missile interceptor systems as an alternative to a scrapped plan to deploy a land-based system.
The Cabinet also gave the green light to develop standoff missiles, or long-range missiles able to attack enemy vessels from outside their firing range. But it stopped short of stipulating that Japan will possess the capability to strike enemy bases as a deterrent.
The approval comes as Japan is seeking to enhance its defense capabilities in the face of the North Korean missile threat and China s assertiveness in the East China Sea.
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