Latest news with #JMSDF
GMA Network
22-06-2025
- General
- GMA Network
A look at Japan's largest warship JS Ise while it was docked in Manila
The JS Ise, one of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's largest Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers, arrives at the Port of Manila on Saturday, June 21, 2025. GMA Integrated News On Saturday morning, the JS Ise, one of Japan's largest Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers, arrived at the Port of Manila. The vessel is part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and is currently on its Indo-Pacific Deployment 2025. As one of the Philippines' strongest allies, Japan received a warm welcome. The Philippine Navy Band was in full force to greet the Japanese sailors, playing as officials disembarked. GMA Integrated News was among the few invited to tour the JS Ise. Upon stepping onto the flight deck, one immediately notices the sheer size of the warship. The deck is large enough to accommodate military helicopters such as the SH-60K, which was also on display. Beyond its modern command and control systems, the JS Ise is equipped with powerful anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capabilities, making it a formidable presence in the region. According to the ship's commanding officer, their visit to the Philippines aims to promote regional security and cooperation. It also marks an opportunity to strengthen joint training exercises, especially now that the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between Japan and the Philippines has officially taken effect. 'This port call is contributing in peace and stability in the region to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific,' Rear Admiral Natsui Takashi, commander of Escort Flotilla 4 (CCF4), said. The RAA is a formal agreement that enhances cooperation between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It was signed by the Philippines and Japan in July 2024. Under this agreement, the JMSDF can now participate in joint military exercises in the Philippines—something previously limited to maritime cooperative activities. Alongside the JS Ise, another Japanese warship, the JS Suzunami—a Takanami-class destroyer—also docked at the Port of Manila. The JMSDF emphasized that their presence in the Philippines is part of their commitment to peaceful defense cooperation and military exchanges. They clarified that the deployment is not intended to provoke or confront any specific country. However, the arrival of these warships came just one day after the China Coast Guard once again used water cannons against a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel operating within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea. The BFAR vessel was delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen at the disputed Scarborough Shoal when the incident occurred. China has previously criticized the Philippines for seeking alliances, claiming it only adds tension to the South China Sea. In response to recent developments, RADM Natsui Takashi stated: 'I recognized China has recently activated military activities… also I recognize unilateral changes to the status quo by force and such attempts are serious challenge to the free and open international order based on the Rule of Law, and the JMSDF has continued to watch Chinese naval activities and take preparations for ISR and surveillance.' As of now, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has not issued a response to the JMSDF's statement. China continues to assert that nearly the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, is part of its territory, citing its so-called "ten-dash line" historical map. However, this claim was invalidated by the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which declared China's actions illegal and upheld the Philippines' sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
21-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Two Japanese destroyers dock at Port of Manila
Two warships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) arrived Saturday at the Port of Manila as part of its deployment plan to promote security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The Philippine Navy welcomed the JS Ise, a Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer, and the JS Suzunami, Takanami-class destroyer. A highlight of the event was the disembarkation ceremony for naval officers from different countries who took part in the Ship Rider Cooperation Program. In a statement on Saturday, the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines said the deployed JMSDF vessels are conducting joint training exercises with naval forces in the Indo-Pacific, including countries that regularly operate in the area. "These engagements serve to enhance the tactical capabilities of the JMSDF, foster mutual understanding and trust among participating navies, and deepen multilateral defense cooperation," the statement read. "Such initiatives reflect Japan's continued commitment to maintaining peace, stability, and a rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region," it added. In July 2024, the Philippines and Japan signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which aims to heighten defense cooperation between the two nations amid tensions in the South China Sea. Ahead of the signing, leaders of the Philippines, Japan, and the United States released a joint vision statement indicating the possibility of more combined naval training and exercises, with Manila set to receive support for its defense modernization priorities. Japan has previously participated in multilateral maritime cooperative activities with the Philippines and other allied nations, events which have irked China as it asserts its claim over disputed waters, including the West Philippine Sea. Just last weekend, the navies of the Philippines and Japan held their second bilateral maritime cooperative activity. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
The Star
16-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Philippines, Japan hold joint drills after reciprocal access agreement
MANILA: The Philippines and Japan conducted joint maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea over the weekend, marking one of their first major joint activities after Japan's Diet ratified early this month the reciprocal access agreement (RAA) between the two countries. At about the same time, China's military held joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea, according to Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army-Navy. The drills with Japan, called 'maritime cooperative activity (MCA),' were held on Saturday (June 14) within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and involved the Philippine Navy's newest frigate BRP Miguel Malvar and guided-missile destroyer JS Takanami (DD-110) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). 'More than a maritime drill, the MCA underscored the operationalisation of the RAA—an accord that lays the groundwork for increased joint training, humanitarian assistance and disaster response initiatives between the AFP and JMSDF,' the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said. The drills featured antisubmarine warfare exercises, cross-deck exercises, communication check exercise, division tactics and officer of the watch manoeuvres, photo exercises and a finish exercise. Also joining the drills were the AgustaWestland 159 antisubmarine helicopter, C-208 ISR aircraft of the Philippine Air Force, search and rescue units, and Japan's SH-60K Seahawk. A video from the AFP showed the popular Japanese anime 'Gundam' playing in the background as sailors from the BRP Miguel Malvar manned the rails while sailing with JS Takanami nearby. 'With the RAA now in effect, our coordination with Japan will only grow stronger and more responsive to the complex demands of our shared security environment,' AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. was quoted as saying. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's EEZ in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely. Tokyo and Beijing have also repeatedly faced off around uninhabited Japanese-administered islands that Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu. Tokyo's security cooperation with Manila is expected to get a boost in the coming years following Japan's ratification of the RAA, which the Philippine Senate approved in December last year. Tian, meanwhile, criticised the Philippines for courting countries outside the region to organise 'joint patrols' and 'raised security risks' in the region. 'The theatre command forces remain on high alert, resolutely safeguarding China's national sovereignty and maritime rights,' he said in a statement on Sunday. He added that 'all military activities that seek to stir up trouble in the South China Sea or create flashpoints are fully under control.' The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Philippines and the United States conducted joint maritime drills in the South China Sea for a seventh time earlier this month. Tensions continue to run high between China and the Philippines over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a conduit for more than US$3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
Japan Forward
14-06-2025
- General
- Japan Forward
Chinese Military Jets Make Aggressive Passes Near Japan
このページを 日本語 で読む At a press conference on June 12, General Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of the Joint Staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, addressed the aggressive actions of Chinese military aircraft. He described the behavior as deliberate, noting, "They followed us for 40 minutes, then 80 minutes — and it happened two days in a row." Chinese J-15 fighter jets, launched from the aircraft carrier Shandong , approached Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) P-3C patrol aircraft at dangerously close range on two consecutive days. The Shandong had advanced to waters near Japan's Okinotorishima, more than 1,500 kilometers from the Chinese mainland. According to the Ministry of Defense (MOD), the first close encounter occurred on June 7. A lone J-15 tailed Japan's P-3C for approximately 40 minutes, repeatedly veering side to side as it approached and retreated, eventually closing to within just 45 meters on the aircraft's left side. On June 8, a second J-15 tailed a Japanese P-3C for roughly 80 minutes, coming as close as 45 meters on the aircraft's right side. As it disengaged, the jet crossed in front of the patrol plane at the same altitude, just 900 meters ahead. That day, another Chinese fighter also joined the pursuit. Describing the 45-meter proximity, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) pilot said it felt like "a total stranger walking shoulder to shoulder with you — close enough to break a cold sweat." At the time, China had deployed two aircraft carriers to the western Pacific simultaneously for the first time. Reflecting on the maneuver, one ASDF official remarked, "It was as if they were declaring, 'This is China's airspace.'" Frontal crossings like the one on June 8 are especially dangerous, as wake turbulence can trigger engine malfunctions. Japan's P-3C was conducting surveillance on five vessels, including the Shandong . According to reports, the JMSDF aircraft attempted to communicate via radio, asserting that it was "conducting legitimate mission flights in international airspace." While the MOD has not released the full details of the exchange, it stated that a safe distance was maintained from the Shandong . Chinese military aircraft have repeatedly carried out provocative maneuvers against the United States and other allied forces in recent years. In February, a Chinese J-16 fighter jet closed to within just 30 meters of an Australian P-8A patrol aircraft over the South China Sea and released infrared countermeasure flares designed to evade missiles. According to a 2023 announcement by the US Department of Defense, Chinese aircraft were involved in more than 180 abnormal close encounters over the previous two years. These included incidents where jets flew close enough for crew members' faces to be seen or crossed directly in front of US aircraft at dangerously close range. Around the same time, another Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning , crossed the Second Island Chain — a key US defense perimeter — for the first time. This time, with both Chinese carriers operating simultaneously in the western Pacific, Professor Tetsuo Kotani of Meikai University, a security policy expert, offered this analysis: "This seems to be China's way of sending a warning: 'Don't interfere with our legitimate training in this newly entered area.' It also reflects growing confidence as China continues to strengthen its carrier strike group operations." Author: Toyohiro Ichioka, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
CNN
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Japan says Chinese fighter jet came within 150 feet of surveillance plane above Pacific
A Chinese fighter jet came within about 150 feet of a Japanese naval reconnaissance plane over the weekend, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Thursday, an action the US ambassador to Tokyo called 'dangerous' and 'reckless.' Saturday morning's close encounter between the Japanese P-3C Orion, a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft and a J-15 jet fighter launched from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong occurred over international waters of the Pacific, according to a statement from Japan's Defense Ministry. The encounter lasted about 40 minutes, as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense (JMSDF) force plane was on a surveillance mission, according to the statement. The Chinese jet came within 45 meters of the Japanese plane 'horizontally,' the ministry said. Another close encounter between a Chinese fighter and a Japanese plane occurred Sunday, with the Chinese warplane passing about 900 meters (2,950 feet) directly in front of the flight path of a P-3C, the ministry statement said. 'Such unusual approaches by Chinese military aircraft could lead to an accidental collision,' it said. US Ambassador to Japan George Glass was blunter in his criticism. 'The recent dangerous maneuver by a Chinese fighter jet that put Japanese crewmembers' lives in peril,' Glass said in a post on X, sarcastically calling the incident 'another of Beijing's 'good neighbor' efforts.' 'Whether it's harassing Philippine ships, attacking Vietnamese fishermen, or firing flares at Australian aircraft, Beijing knows only reckless aggression,' Glass said. In the past several years, China has been accused of all those actions in the South China Sea and other areas of the Indo-Pacific. At a defense forum in Singapore last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said China exhibits a pattern of harassing and trying to intimidate its neighbors. 'We have all seen the videos and pictures of water cannons and ship-to-ship collisions and illegal boardings at sea. We are also seeing the illegal seizing and militarizing of lands in the South China Sea,' he said at the Shangri-La Dialogue. 'These actions reveal a lack of respect for neighbours, and they challenge sovereignty, freedom of navigation and overflight,' he said. The Chinese-Japanese encounters occurred in international waters in the Pacific as Beijing sent two aircraft carrier groups to the region for training exercises. The Chinese carriers and their escorts were practicing far-sea defense and joint operations, a military statement said. 'This is a routine arrangement included in the annual training plan, aiming to improve the Chinese PLA Navy's ability to fulfill missions. The training complies with relevant international law and practice, and is not targeted at specific countries or entity,' Senior Capt. Wang Xuemeng, spokesperson for the Chinese PLA Navy, said in a written statement.
