Can you protect merchant ships in the Persian Gulf? Dispatch of “study and research”

The government announced that it would consider dispatching the Self-Defense Forces around the Middle East Holmes Strait based on a “research study” under the Ministry of Defense Act. This is the flip side of the difficult application of the “reasonable” anti-piracy law, maritime guard action, international peace cooperation support law, and so on.

“Survey research” is primarily intended to collect information, and can not protect merchant ships, nor can it take compulsory measures such as stopping fire when a dangerous ship approaches.

In 2001, before the Terror Special Measures Law was enacted ...