On March 17, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF, Kaijo Jieitai) Murasame-class destroyer JS Kirisame conducted a bilateral exercise with French Navy (Marine Nationale) Floréal-class frigate FS Vendemiaire in the East China Sea to enhance tactical skills and cooperation between the JMSDF and the French Armed Forces in the Pacific. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Fleet remains responsive and integrates with friendly forces, safeguards the peace and security of Japan, and contributes to support stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Commanding Officer of Murasame-class destroyer JS Kirisame, CDR SAKATA Atsushi said, “Through this exercise, we enhanced our tactical skills and cooperation between the JMSDF and the French Armed Forces in the Pacific. France is an important partner of the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and I felt very reassured conducting this exercise together.”
Vendémiaire is a Floréal-class frigate (French: frégate de surveillance) of the French Navy. She is the fifth ship of the class, and is named after Vendémiaire, the first month of the Republican Calendar. The ship was constructed at Saint-Nazaire, France, in 1992 and entered service in 1993. Vendémiaire is stationed in the French Pacific territories for patrol duties.
JS Kirisame (DD-104) is the fourth ship of Murasame-class destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. She was commissioned on 18 March 1999. The basic configuration of the equipment is the same as first-generation DDs, but they are updated and enhanced throughout. Concepts of its combat system were partly based on those of Kong? class. This is the first class of the second-generation general-purpose destroyers of the JMSDF. To enhance the low-observability and combat readiness capability, vertical launching systems were adopted on its missile systems.
