The Diplomat
The Japanese ambassador, Kenji Hiramatsu, visited the Rota Naval Base on Monday, where the Fleet Headquarters and the strategic level headquarters of the European Union in Spain, as well as US military forces, are based.
Kenji Hiramatsu was briefed on the capabilities, organisation and tasks of the Fleet and informed about the European Union’s operation ‘Atalanta’, with which Japan maintains a close relationship, as it carries out joint exercises with Japanese ships that form part of the Combined Joint Force (CMF, a force led by the United States with headquarters in Manama, Bahrain) and collaborates with the Japanese Maritime Reconnaissance and Surveillance Aircraft, based in Djibouti, to share information from the area of operations.
The ambassador’s visit concluded with a tour of the US area of the base, where he met with its commanding officer, Captain David Baird, and learned about the missions entrusted to them and the naval collaboration they maintain with Spain.
