Japanese destroyers dock at central Vietnam port

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) said that the JS Izumo and the JS Murasame with 5 helicopters and 800 soldiers on board are part of a 3-month training session in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea.

They would also visit other Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, the Philippines and Brunei.

"The training session would help to improve the soldiers’ strategic capabilities, as well as foster cooperation between countries’ naval forces," said Hiroshi Yamamura, Chief of Staff of the JMSDF.

The JS Izumo is one of Japan’s biggest destroyers right now. It is 248 meters long, weighs 27,000 tons and can carry 14 helicopters. The destroyer had already docked at the Cam Ranh Port in 2017 for the Pacific Partnership 2017, a multilateral mission to prepare for humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

In March, two Japanese training vessels, the JS Setoyuki and the JS Shimayuki also docked at Da Nang City’s Tien Sa Port for cultural exchanges and meet with Da Nang authorities.