Japan has deployed three CH-47 Chinook helicopters and about 300 personnel to West Kalimantan, Indonesia, to support firefighting against forest and land fires. The aircraft arrived aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force landing ship JS Kunisaki at Kijing Port in Mempawah, where the mission was integrated into Indonesia’s government-led emergency response and coordinated with military and disaster-response teams.
The operation was ordered as an international disaster relief deployment by Japan’s defence ministry and forms part of broader defence cooperation between Tokyo and Jakarta. Reporting from the region indicated that the Chinooks began water-bombing once haze and poor visibility eased, after initial delays limited flight activity. The support package was described as covering the period from 12 to 19 September, with Indonesia’s defence minister visiting the operation earlier in the week.
Reuters and Indonesian media independently reported the same deployment, including the use of the Osumi-class landing ship to transport the helicopters and personnel into West Kalimantan. The mission comes as Indonesia continues to confront recurring wildfire outbreaks across Borneo, where low visibility can quickly restrict rotary-wing operations and slow aerial suppression efforts.