The Defense Ministry has said that it will conduct a drill in Djibouti for protecting Japanese nationals abroad, based on new national security legislation that entered into effect last year.
The drill, slated for Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, will be the third of its kind.
Following a series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, the government is facing the challenge of ensuring the safety of Japanese citizens in South Korea, though it said Friday that no specific scenario will be envisioned in the upcoming exercise.
The northeastern African country of Djibouti hosts a base for Self-Defense Forces troops engaged in an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.
The drill, will be held in several areas, including a Djibouti army training area.
It will include a scenario where a violent mob has surrounded Japanese nationals and destroyed a road barricade, forcing the SDF to fire warning shots to safely evacuate. The security bills made it possible for the SDF to fire such warning shots.
Under the legislation, the SDF may use weapons if doing do is deemed necessary when rescuing and protecting Japanese nationals abroad.
Part of the training will also involve long-distance transportation by land and by air, using the Air Self-Defense Force’s KC-767 refueling aircraft. The Ground Self-Defense Force will also practice loading its light armored vehicles onto a U.S. military transport aircraft.
Source: Japan Times
