Japanese submarine docks at Subic

SUBIC FREEPORT — Japanese submarine, JS Oyashio (SS-511), docked at the Alava Pier at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

It was accompanied by two Japanese warships, JS Ariake (DD-109) and JS Setogiri (DD-156), which berthed alongside JS Oyashio at about 10 a.m.

The three vessels carried more than 400 crew, according to Capt. Hiroaki Yoshino of JS Ariake.

At a briefing, Yoshino noted that their three-day visit is expected to enhance the already strong relationship between the Philippine Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

He said there will be a series of confidence building activities between the visiting Japanese navy personnel and their Filipino counterparts.

According to Yoshino, their visit has nothing to do with the ongoing tension between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea. JE

Japanese submarine Oyashio docks at a port of the former US naval base in Subic bay, on April 3, 2016.
Two Japanese destroyers and a submarine docked at a Philippine port April 3, near disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing’s increasingly assertive behaviour has sparked global concern. / AFP / TED ALJIBE