April 30, 2017 8:50 pm JST
Japan issues 1st order to protect U.S. ships amid N. Korea tension
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan has issued its first order for forces to protect U.S. military vessels since new security legislation was enacted last year, Japanese government sources said Sunday, amid heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula.
Defense Minister Tomomi Inada ordered the dispatch of the Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter carrier Izumo on Monday to protect a U.S. Navy supply vessel in the Pacific, the sources said.
http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Japan-issues-1st-order-to-protect-U.S.-ships-amid-N.-Korea-tension
