Ever since Japan dispatched minesweepers to the Persian Gulf after the Gulf War in 1991, the Self-Defense Forces have been expanding their activities beyond Japan and its immediate vicinity to include international peacekeeping missions, emergency relief operations, multilateral military exercises, and naval refueling support in the Indian Ocean. Self-Defense Force units have been dispatched to southern Iraq to provide humanitarian aid and support reconstruction efforts.
自卫队行使其职责的范围也不再局限于日本领土和近海。自从日本在1991年的海湾战争中派遣扫雷艇前往波斯湾，自卫队就开始将其活动范围从日本及邻近区域扩大到包括国际维和行动，紧急救助行动，多边军事演习及印度洋上的海军燃油补给支持。自卫队的士兵被派遣到伊拉克南部参与人道主义援助和战后重建的工作。