Japan's largest warship docks in Vietnam
A Japanese warship flotilla led by the helicopter destroyer JS Izumo docked at Cam Ranh port, beginning a three-day visit to Vietnam.
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JS Murasame (left) and JS Izumo docked at Cam Ranh port on June 14. Photo: JMSDF. |
The Japanese Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that a fleet of warships including the helicopter destroyer JS Izumo, the multi-purpose destroyer JS Murasame, five helicopters and 800 soldiers arrived at Cam Ranh port in Khanh Hoa province yesterday, beginning a visit to Vietnam from June 14 to 17.
This is part of a three-month training period in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean by the Japanese warships. In addition to Vietnam, the warships also docked and visited several Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, the Philippines and Brunei.
"The training will help improve the tactical skills of soldiers and strengthen cooperation between the navies of the countries," Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commander Hiroshi Yamamura said in May.
JS Izumo is one of Japan's two largest warships today. The ship is 248 meters long, has a full displacement of 27,000 tons and can carry 14 helicopters. The Japanese government announced plans last year to convert two Izumo-class helicopter destroyers into aircraft carriers, allowing them to operate F-35B stealth fighters purchased from the US.
The JS Izumo helicopter destroyer docked at Cam Ranh Bay in May 2017 to participate in Pacific Partnership 2017, a multilateral mission to prepare for the largest humanitarian assistance and disaster response operation conducted in the Indo-Pacific.