Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Friday he has been ordered by Prime Minister Taro Aso to consider sending Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels on an antipiracy mission off Somalia.
After building a consensus within the Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling bloc, the government may issue an order for maritime police action in line with the Self-Defense Forces Law as early as in January with a view to providing protection to Japanese ships from pirate activities from sometime in February.
If realized, it would be the first dispatch overseas an MSDF ship in a police action.
"I received an instruction from Prime Minister Aso that we quickly consider this so the SDF can swiftly deal with the piracy issue," Hamada said.
"Although maritime policing activities received focus yesterday, that is just one option we will be considering."
Hamada also said an MSDF police action dispatch may not be suitable from the viewpoint of international contributions because of certain limitations.
Maritime police actions under law are restricted basically to safeguarding Japanese-registered ships or Japanese nationals under threat. A dispatched MSDF ship is not sanctioned to respond to an attack on a non-Japanese ship that has nothing to do with the life and assets of Japanese.
The government is expected to consider preparing legislation that would allow MSDF ships to act even under such circumstances.
Maritime police actions would be ordered by the defense minister with approval of the prime minister. Besides providing safeguards, such actions also face restrictions, particularly involving the use of weapons. Arms may be used only for self-defense or for emergency evacuation.