Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force News

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has visited the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Kono was briefed by Sri Lankan government officials about a project under consideration to expand the port. The Japanese Foreign Minister  also visited the newly built control tower and the Colombo Port Expansion Project currently known as the Colombo south Port. Colombo is the largest port in Sri Lanka, which is a strategically important point in Indian Ocean sea lanes. Taro Kono was briefed by the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake about the project, the consideration to expand the facility and the ‘Three Year Plan’ that has currently been initiated to develop the Port of Colombo. The Japanese government has been involved in building port facilities there for many years.

Australian Navy submarine HMAS Dechaineux, has recently joined four Japanese submarines and United States Navy Los Angeles class attack submarine USS Key West in a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force trilateral exercise in waters south of Japan. The Submarine Competition (known as SUBCOMP) aims to further the anti-submarine warfare integration of the three navies, stressing each crew’s responses and tactics. The top performer is recognised with the Japanese Battle Efficiency Award. Commander Grady Hill, Key West’s Commanding Officer thought his crew performed well. “The crew found this exercise to be an excellent opportunity to plan, train and execute tactics while in a deployed environment,” he said.

Naval cooperation between India, US and Japan epitomises the strong and resilient relationship between the three democracies. The MALABAR series of exercises, initiated in 1992 between the Indian and US Navies, have steadily grown in scope, complexity and participation into a multifaceted exercise with the participation of Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF). The 21st edition of the exercise, MALABAR-17 will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 10 to 17 July 2017. The primary aim of this exercise is to increase interoperability amongst the three navies as well as develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations.

Marking his first official travel to the Asia-Pacific region, Vice President Mike Pence made his first ceremonial stop in Japan at Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, April 18. During the Japan portion of his regional visit, the vice president will travel to Tokyo where he will meet with Prime Minister Shinz Abe and lead the inaugural U.S.-Japan Economic Dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister Tar As. The vice president will also participate in a listening session, followed by remarks to the U.S. and Japanese business community. Naval Air Facility Atsugi Commanding Officer Capt. John Bushey, from Spencer, Iowa, said NAF Atsugi serving as the…

Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, Arleigh Burke -class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and Ticonderoga -class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) arrived in Singapore for a scheduled port visit, April 4. Prior to the visit, the Carl Vinson Strike Group (CSG-1) completed two weeks of routine operations in the Asia-Pacific region, including maritime exercises with the Republic of Korea Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The ship also operated in the South China Sea during this deployment. "This port visit reaffirms our commitment to the U.S.-Singapore defense relationship and our shared belief that lawful use of the sea and airspace are essential to prosperity…

The world is closely watching several contentious flash points that have potential to ignite. The behavior and rhetoric of China and Russia regarding vital shipping lanes in international waters have been alarming. Disputed sovereignty claims and efforts to enforce them have the maritime world on edge. China’s nine-dash line claims about owning the entire East and South China Sea have created a dilemma for themselves and the other nations in the region. The Philippines v. China case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague commenced on Jan.

The growing Defense relationship between Japan and Australia was given a boost this week when Royal Australian Navy (RAN) submarine HMAS Rankin conducted a port visit to Kobe, Japan from May 6-10,  2016. Highlighting Australia’s commitment to our long term relationship with Japan, Rankin will participate in a bilateral exercise with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The bilateral training exercise will enable the participating vessels to conduct maritime skills such as maneuvering and communications while enhancing interoperability at sea. Over the past few years, the RAN and JMSDF have conducted a number of national visits and participated in Exercises NICHI GOU TRIDENT, DISTANT SHORES and KAKADU. Most recently, JS Shirase visited Sydney in March 2016.

At Sea Japan 2016, GE will showcase its latest marine technologies, helping Japanese shipyards and mariners achieve more efficient maritime operations while meeting stringent environmental regulations. GE’s Marine Solutions business has been a reliable partner of the country’s marine industry. In the military space, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has chosen GE’s LM2500 and LM500 gas turbines for its naval ships. To date, GE’s marine systems’ supplier IHI has packaged, tested and delivered over 70 LM2500 and more than 30 LM500 marine gas turbines.

The U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Adm. The document presents Richardson’s priorities with four “lines of effort” to strengthen naval power at and from the sea; achieve high velocity learning at every level; strengthen our Navy team for the future’ and expand and strengthen our network of partners. It isn’t an earth-shattering document, and perhaps is most telling for what it doesn’t say, as opposed to what is says. The document makes a strong case for forward presence, which has been the raison d’etre for the U.S. Navy for decades.

EXPERTS from navies, academia and industry are meeting in Tokyo to examine the unique challenges of operating in the littoral or coastal environment. The Littoral OPTECH East workshop is being held in Tokyo, Japan this week with the academic leadership of the Littoral Operations Center (LOC) at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. OPTECH East has the support of the U.S. Office of Naval Research Global, and with the participation of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Swedish Navy and the defense company, Saab. Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, who commands the U.S.

The Littoral OPTECH East workshop is being held in Tokyo, Japan this week with the academic leadership of the Littoral Operations Center (LOC) at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. OPTECH East has the support of the U.S. Office of Naval Research Global, and with the participation of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Swedish Navy and the defense company, Saab. Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, who commands the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet, was the keynote speaker for the first day.

Naval forces and liaisons from India, Japan and United States begin Exercise Malabar 2015, Oct. 16, through air defense collaboration. The featured cooperation consists of aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Carrier Airwing (CVW) 1, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and Indian frigate INS Shivalik (F 47). Exercise Malabar is an annual event designed to enhance naval cooperation through engagement with India and Japan while demonstrating U.S. Naval presence in the Indo-Asia region. "We launched aircraft from TR to simulate scenarios to exercise the Indian's self-defense," said Lt. Sean McDonnell, Normandy's air defense officer.

India, Japan and the United States kicked off the first joint naval exercises  in the Bay of Bengal in eight years and such drills will occur each year, Indian government sources said. The Japanese Maritime-Self Defense Force (JMSF) confimed that it will Permanently Join US-India Naval Exercises. An announcement will be made shortly  re-designating what had hitherto been officially an Indian-U.S. bilateral military exercise into a trilateral India-U.S.-Japan event, according to the Business Standard. While Japan’s participation is not new—the JMSF have joined in 2007, 2009, and 2014 respectively—it will be the first time that the Japanese Navy will not be a foreign invitee but rather a permanent member of the annual trilateral naval drill.

GE Marine will provide IHI, Tokyo, Japan, with two LM2500 aeroderivative marine gas turbines for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force’s (JMSDF) new 26DD destroyer. “GE gas turbines already are part of numerous JMSDF ship classes, most recently the 22DDH, which is already commissioned, and the 24DDH, which is now under construction,” said Brien Bolsinger, Vice President Marine Operations, GE Marine, Evendale, Ohio. “As with previous contracts, IHI will handle in-country design, manufacture and testing of the LM2500 propulsion modules for the 26DD program.

GE Marine announced that it will provide IHI, Tokyo, Japan, with LM2500 and LM500 gas turbines for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force’s (JMSDF) new 24DDH destroyer. The GE LM2500 gas turbines will be equipped with integrated electronic controls. “GE gas turbines already are part of the JMSDF’s 22DDH program. We are delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with IHI and the JMSDF for the 24DDH follow-on program,” said Brien Bolsinger, vice president, marine operations, GE Marine, Evendale, Ohio.

Capt. Edward Lundquist, U.S. Navy (Ret.) talks with Vice Admiral Jerry Beaman, the commander of the U.S. THIRD Fleet, about the 2012 “Rim of the Pacific” (RIMPAC) multi-national fleet exercise. How has the Rim of the Pacific or “RIMPAC” exercised evolved to the current involvement of more than 20 nations? Our naval heritage and our tradition really began in the War of 1812. In February of 1813, the frigate USS Essex was the very first Navy ship to sail into the Pacific. Our young nation giving notice that we had as much right to the seas as anyone else.

The hospital ship called at the port as part of the 'Pacific Partnership 2012'. A number of re-planned engagements will be carried out with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force amphibious ship Oosumi between July 10 and 24. They include two engineering, six medical and dental and four veterinary civil action programs, as well as three biomedical repairs and three subject matter expert engagements. The Pacific Partnership 2012 team’s focus, with  over 1,200 multi-national members…

American Technology Corporation (ATC) (NASDAQ:ATCO), announced that its LRAD 1000X directed sound system was used by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force to help prevent a pirate attack on a Singaporean tanker off the coast of Somalia on the weekend of April 4. Responding to a distress call from the tanker, a Japanese destroyer used LRAD’s powerful voice commands to identify itself and warn the pirates away. LRAD directed sound products and systems communicate from 300 meters to over 3,000 meters with authority and high intelligibility through vocal commands and powerful warning tones to influence behavior, gain compliance, and determine intent.

The guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS Chafee (DDG 90) steam in the Pacific Ocean with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during exercises with several Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force ships. Nimitz is operating in the western Pacific and Indian oceans as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet. U.S. By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gabriel S. The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) participated in the Undersea Warfare Exercise (USWEX) while underway in the Western Pacific. The exercise, which ended Feb.

Lockheed Martin announced today that Japan has purchased a seventh lot of Vertical Launch Antisubmarine (VLA) rockets valued at $59.8 million. Lockheed Martin will deliver the VLAs to Mitsubishi Corporation, Tokyo, in 2005 for transfer to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force for use on Kongo- and Murasame-class ships. "The consecutive contracts awarded to us by Mitsubishi signify the important defense capability that VLAs provide the Japanese Maritime Self- Defense Force," said Al Barber, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems & Sensors business in Akron, OH. "Since 1997, we have been entrusted with providing a key system in Japan's antisubmarine warfare arsenal.

GE Marine will supply Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. (IHI), Tokyo, Japan with four LM2500 gas turbines. The engines will be placed into propulsion modules by IHI to power the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) 15DDG AEGIS destroyer. The destroyer will be built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.’s Nagasaki, Japan shipyard. The 15DDG will be the sixth AEGIS destroyer built for the JMSDF using GE’s LM2500 gas turbines. In fact, this order brings the total of LM2500s in the JMSDF’s fleet to 61, including Murasame-class and Takanami-class destroyers that are powered by this gas turbine. In addition, 27 GE LM500 gas turbines power six JMSDF hydrofoils and three monohull boats.

Stolt-Nielsen S.A. appointed Otto H. Fritzner as CEO of Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group (SNTG). Fritzner most recently served as Managing Director, Ship Owning at SNTG. He succeeds James B. Hurlock, who was named Interim CEO of SNTG in July 2003. • SNTG's global operations will be organized into three regions - the Americas, administered from Greenwich, Conn.; Asia-Pacific, administered from Singapore; and Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), administered from Rotterdam, SNTG's corporate headquarters. • SNTG's Indian Ocean Service and the Europe-to-Asia Pacific Service will be operated out of Rotterdam. I.M. Skaugen ASA announced that Skaugen PetroTrans (SPT), its 50 percent owned joint venture company, has appointed Per Voie as its President.

The U.S. Navy awarded the work package on its USS Whidbey Island to Norshipco, a member of the U.S. Marine Repair shipyard family. The contract, which calls for topside phased maintenance, fixed-price availability, states for work to commence on May 24 for a September 1 completion. The work package includes topside repairs, electrical and mechanical repairs, and ship alterations. Specific mechanical repairs entail main propulsion diesel engines, and ship alterations include the RAM Mk31 Mod and Ship's Self Defense System installations. Stratos has been awarded a contract to supply C-band satellite equipment and teleport services for PanCanadian Petroleum Limited's exploration drilling program offshore Nova Scotia.