Japanese ships call at Kochi port

JDS Sazanami and JDS Inazuma of Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), called at Kochi for a brief  stopover on their way to the Gulf of Eden on anti-piracy deployment.

The ships are part of Escort Division Eight of JMSDF and will be away from their base port of Kure in Hiroshima prefecture for about five months. Captain Yoshikiyo Yamamoto, commander, Escort Division Eight, is embarked as the senior officer on board JDS Sazanami.

The visiting Japanese Navy delegation, accompanied by Colonel Nobutaka Mikasa, the Japanese defence attache to India, called on Rear Admiral SY Shrikhande, Chief of Staff of Southern Naval Command.

 

Earlier, a group of officers from Southern Naval Command visited the Japanese warships. There were also official briefings and professional exchanges on anti-piracy operations between the two navies.

Admiral Shrikande conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of life in the recent tragedy in Japan to the visiting Japanese Officers and expressed solidarity with the people of Japan as they brave the aftermath of the disaster.