Japan sends "destroyer" to SouthChinaSea to send a "strong message" to China over disputed islands and reefs

The Maritime Self-Defense Force said Tuesday that it will dispatch its destroyer Ise to a multinational maritime exercise to be hosted by the Indonesian navy on April 12-16.

The 13,950-ton vessel will travel in the South China Sea to join the Komodo Exercise set to be conducted in areas near the western Indonesian city of Padang.

Dispatching the Ise has nothing to do with the U.S. Navy’s freedom of navigation operation near artificial islands that China built in the South China Sea, MSDF officials said.

But the move can be seen as a joint effort by Japan and the United States to counter China’s maritime assertiveness in the South China Sea.

The Japanese destroyer is also expected to make a port call in Subic Bay in the Philippines, where the MSDF submarine Oyashio arrived on Sunday.

The Ise is based in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. Multiple helicopters can simultaneously land on and take off from the vessel.

The exercise is expected to include the participation of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus several other countries.

Adm. Tomohisa Takei, MSDF chief of staff, told a news conference he hopes that the MSDF’s participation in the exercise will improve its tactical skills and help promote mutual understanding and trust among the participating countries.

During the exercise period, an Indonesian-led international naval review and the Western Pacific Naval Symposium are scheduled to be held. Takei is slated to attend both events.