The Japanese Ministry of Defense has deployed its latest P-1 reconnaissance aircraft to the Gulf of Aden to participate in international anti-piracy operations, Kyodo news agency reports.
According to the agency, the plane will be stationed in Djibouti, in northeastern Africa, where Tokyo has a permanent base. The P-1 is a Japanese-made jet aircraft designed for the monitoring of submarines and surface ships.
It can patrol for more than 10 hours. The Japanese Air Force began receiving these aircraft in 2013. Currently, the country has 40 such aircraft and 24 older American-made P-3Cs. Tokyo has been participating in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since 2009. In addition to surveillance aircraft, there is also a minesweeper of the Japanese Navy operating there on a rotational basis.
