Japanese naval training vessels dock in central Vietnam

The vessels are on a four-day visit between March 6-9 to Vietnam.

Led by Colonel Nakagama Yoshiyuki, the two ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force have brought 380 officers and sailors.

During their stay in Da Nang, the Japanese delegation will visit a Vietnamese Naval vessel, play volleyball and perform music with their Vietnamese counterparts, meet with Vietnam’s Naval Region 3 Command, which is in charge of ensuring peace and stability in waters off Vietnam's north-central coast.

They will also meet with Da Nang authorities, and take a city tour.

JS Setoyuki (TV-3518) and JS Shimayuki (TV-3513), 130 meters long and 13.6 meters wide, were built originally as destroyers under the Hatsuyuki class, but were turned into training vessels in 2012 and 1999 respectively.

Last September, the Japan maritime defense force sent the Kuroshio submarine to Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Port, a deepwater base on the central coast, for a four-day visit, marking the first time the sub had docked in Vietnamese waters.