Japan sends 2 Navy ships to visit Cam Ranh

Two training ships JS ARIAKE (DD 109) and JS SETOGIRI (DD 156) with 500 Japanese sailors and officers just docked at Cam Ranh port this morning during a friendship visit to Vietnam.

Officer on board DD 109 introduces some of the ship's weapons and equipment.

On the morning of April 12, 2016, two training ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, JS ARIAKE (DD 109) and JS SETOGIRI (DD 156), with 500 sailors and officers led by Colonel Morishita Haruhiko, Commander of the 15th Escort Squadron, docked at Cam Ranh International Port, Khanh Hoa Province, beginning a friendly visit to Vietnam from April 12 to 15, 2016. This is the second visit of a foreign naval ship (the first naval ship to dock at the Port was from Singapore) to Cam Ranh International Port, after the Port was officially inaugurated on March 8, 2016.

Welcoming ceremony for members of the delegation of 2 Japanese ships.

The Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam read a letter from the Japanese Minister of Defense to General Phung Quang Thanh, former Minister of Defense of Vietnam.

The visit of two ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force took place in the context of new developments in the relations between the two countries in general, and the Vietnam-Japan defense relations in particular, within the framework of the "Extensive Strategic Partnership" between the two countries. During the visit to Japan by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in September 2015 and the visit to Vietnam by Japanese Defense Minister Nakata-ni Gen in November 2015, the leaders of the two sides agreed to further promote bilateral defense cooperation. This is one of the specific activities to implement the contents of the agreement between the senior leaders of the Party, State and Defense Ministries of the two countries in recent times, thereby contributing to strengthening the cooperation between the two armies in general, and between the two navies in particular, to become increasingly deeper and more effective.

DD 109 and DD 156 at Cam Ranh

SH-60K reconnaissance helicopter equipped on the ship ARIAKE (DD 109).

During the visit, the Japanese ship's command group will pay courtesy calls to the leaders of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee and the Commander of Naval Region 4. The Japanese side will invite representatives of the Vietnamese side to visit the ship and coordinate with Naval Region 4 to organize sports exchanges between soldiers and sailors of the two countries...

According to Infonet