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