Several vessels of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) have reportedly allowed unsupervised personnel to handle top-secret information related to national security. The MSDF’s top officer has indicated that he plans to resign over this latest breach.
Ryo Sakai, MSDF chief of staff since 2022, is expected to step down from his post and the Defense Ministry is considering disciplinary measures against several other senior officers, local media reported Saturday citing ministry officials.
The revelations came after the ministry announced in April that five senior members of the MSDF and the Ground Self-Defense Force – including the then-captain of the destroyer Inazuma – had been punished for the distribution of classified information to uncontrolled personnel within their units.
