Patrol boat heads to Malacca Strait

Patrol boat heads to Malacca Strait

TOKYO: Japan sent an armed patrol vessel to the Malacca Strait on
Monday as Tokyo steps up its cooperation in the fight against
rampant piracy in the region.

The 5,200-ton Yashima with a surveillance helicopter on board
left Yokohama port southwest of Tokyo for Jakarta, where the two
countries are to carry out a joint drill, a Japanese Coast Guard
spokeswoman said.

The Yashima "is equipped with regular arms," she said, without
giving more details citing security reasons.

"We think it's a good opportunity for our Indonesian
counterparts to share knowledge and experience by actually
boarding this high-performance patrol vessel," she said.

"And of course if piracy takes place while Yashima is there,
Yashima is ready to scramble to the site and join rescue
operations," she added.

The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on June 21 after
stopping in Sorong, western Indonesia, for a joint drill on how
to handle a major oil leak. -- AFP