Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Rear Adm. Hiroyuki Izumi, leading the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s training squadron, arrived on Saturday with Training Vessel ‘Kashima’ and Destroyer ‘Makinami’ at Jeddah Islamic Port on a four-day goodwill visit.

The mission of this cruise is to give onboard training to the newly commissioned officers and to strengthen the bilateral ties between Japan and the visiting country.

The squadron, commanded by Rear Adm. Izumi, is manned by about 590 personnel including 190 officer trainees.

Izumi said on arrival, “It is a great honor for us to visit Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam's two holiest mosques.”

He also explained, “It’s the fourth time to visit including this time. In the past, the Japanese Training Squadron made a call at Jeddah in 2012 and 2009, and at Dammam in 2001.”

Outlining the purpose of the overseas training cruise, Izumi said, “We have three purposes on this cruise. First, to develop newly commissioned officers’ seamanship. Second, to foster crew’s international perspective. Third, to promote friendly relations with port call countries.”

Highlighting the organization of Training Squadron, Izumi said, “Overseas Training cruise this year is composed of JS Kashima and JS Makinami with approximately 600 officers and crew onboard, including 200 newly commissioned officers who graduated the Maritime Officer Candidate School this March.”

About the number of countries this year’s overseas training cruise would call, Izumi said, “The overseas training cruise, marking 62nd time this year, will visit 10 countries making 12 port calls 163 days. Kashima and Makinami departed from Japan on May 21, and Jeddah is the fifth port of call. The 11 other ports are: Jakarta (Indonesia), Fujairah (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Mina Salman (Bahrain), Barcelona (Spain), Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), Portsmouth (UK), Norfolk (US), Manzanillo (Mexico) and Honolulu (US).”

On the squadron’s schedule in Jeddah, Izumi said, “We are planning a courtesy call and a tour of Saudi Arabia Navy base, a goodwill sports match (football), and on board reception.”

When asked whether there were any planned exercise with Saudi Arabian Navy, Izumi stated, “We are coordinating with Saudi Arabian Navy. I hope to have a goodwill exercise with them.”

On the question of any operations which JMSDF conducts in the Middle East region, Izumi said, “The waters between Middle East and Japan is one of the most significant see-lane for our country as shown by the fact that 90 percent of oil bound for Japan passes through it. For safety of this area, JMSDF has been conducting counter piracy operations off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden since 2009. We deploy one destroyer and two aircraft. The destroyer conducts escorting private vessels while the aircraft conduct ISR missions.”

Izumi rounded off by saying, “We would like to share with Saudi Arabian Navy the idea of 'free and open seas' in which naturally it should be so, and contribute together to stabilization of the maritime order.”