Japanese naval ships, JS Makinami (DD-112) and JS Suzunami (DD-114), arrived at the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka on a goodwill visit on November 10, 2015.
The two ships are en route for counter piracy operations off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. This visit marks the 50th port call to Sri Lanka by the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships since 2009.
Prior to their departure on November 11, the visiting Japanese ships are scheduled to conduct a Passage exercise with an SLN ship with the aim of sharing professional expertise between the two navies.
Under the Act of Punishment and Countermeasures against Piracy, Japan has been deploying two Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyers with Japan Coast Guard law enforcement officers on board since March 2009, as part of the international effort to enhance maritime security through naval patrols and escort operations. As of June 30, 2015, Japan’s vessels have escorted 3,577 ships in 621 escort missions.
Japanese vessels are also part of the Combined Maritime Forces participating in CTF-151 and conducting zone-defense activities from December 2013, while continuing its escort operations.
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Image: Sri Lanka Navy