The Maritime Self-Defense Force got the word Friday to send two destroyers to combat pirates in the Gulf of Aden, but experts quickly questioned whether the flotilla would be able to protect Japanese vessels — let alone themselves.
"Some of the attackers will be fishermen-turned-pirates, but others will be professionals trained by terrorist organizations. It's questionable how effective the MSDF will be against the latter," military journalist Tetsuo Maeda said.
Somali pirates carry automatic rifles and rocket launchers. They are also known to use radios and GPS devices to monitor communications and trace their prey, making rounds in coordinated teams and employing high-speed boats to approach their targets.