Japan could send its own forces to the Strait of Hormuz by year-end.
The country could send a patrol aircraft stationed nearby and a helicopter carrier to the waterway for surveillance purposes, according to a report in The Mainichi.
But the forces will not work alongside the seven-member International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), a US-led coalition launched in the summer to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers in the economically sensitive region after attacks in May and June.
