Defense Ministry must come clean on disclosure procedures over collision
(From The Japan Times Feb. 28 issue)

「あたご」衝突事故、防衛省は明快な説明を

Disarray is the only word to accurately describe the Defense Ministry's disclosure of information related to the collision between the 7,700-ton Aegis destroyer Atago and the 7.3-ton fishing boat Seitoku Maru at 4:07 a.m. on Feb. 19. Such confusion could harm the credibility of the ministry. The government should take this situation seriously.

On the evening of Feb. 19, Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba told the Liberal Democratic Party's defense panel that a lookout on the Atago saw a green light in a forward direction on the starboard or right side two minutes before the collision. The Atago set its engines at full astern about one minute later, but it collided with the fishing boat, Mr. Ishiba explained.

At around 5 p.m. on Feb. 20, Mr. Ishiba disclosed to the same panel that the lookout saw a red light and a white light that were believed to be of the Seitoku Maru 12 minutes before the collision. One wonders why this information was not disclosed first.

Later it was learned that the Maritime Self-Defense Force's staff office told Mr. Ishiba around 8:30 p.m., Feb. 19 that the lookout may have noticed a light or lights nine minutes before the collision. Then, at about 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 20, the office confirmed the report of the lookout spotting lights 12 minutes before the collision. This means that Mr. Ishiba's announcement that lights were spotted 12 minutes before the collision came 8 1/2 hours after the confirmed report reached him.

Can people be blamed if they suspect that the Defense Ministry was trying to hide information? The government must ensure that important information concerning the Self-Defense Forces reaches the defense chief and prime minister promptly.

When a change of the duty crew took place 12 to 22 minutes before the collision, the duty officer of the earlier crew told the duty officer of the later crew that there was a group of fishing boats in a forward direction. But the Atago continued to move on automatic pilot at 10 knots. It is hard to believe that the navigation crew exercised maximum caution.

2月19日未明のイージス艦「あたご」の衝突事故に対する防衛省の対応は「混乱」の一語につきる。19日夜、石破茂防衛相は、あたごは2 分前に漁船清徳丸の存在を把握したが衝突は避けられなかった、と語った。20日午後、防衛相は、把握したのは12分前だった、と述べた。

後に、防衛相は19日午後8時半に9分前との報告を受け、さらに20日午前8時半に12分前という確認がされていたことが判明した。12分前との発表に8時間半もかかっている。情報隠ぺいがあったと思われても仕方がない。

衝突の12分から22分前に見張りが交代したとき、前方に複数の漁船がいるとの連絡があったにもかかわらず、あたごは自動操縦で航行を続けた。乗組員が最大の注意を払っていたとは考えられない。