Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Thursday that a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer might be sent off Somalia to protect Japanese ships from pirates.
The government has never attempted to dispatch a military vessel overseas for policing activities under the Self-Defense Forces Law, and government sources said that, given the strong reservations about the idea, the final say will likely be left to Prime Minister Taro Aso.
At a news conference, Kawamura said the SDF Law dictates that the destroyers can only protect Japanese-registered ships or other vessels related to Japan.