Earlier this week, at the request of Japan and the US, two Royal Australian Air Force C-17 aircraft departed RAAF Pearce near Perth for Yokota Air Base west of Tokyo, carrying equipment to assist Japan’s efforts at the Fukushima No 1 Nuclear Power Plant.
The C-17s are transporting a remotely operated water cannon system, supplied by the Bechtel corporation at the request of the United States.
The water cannon system is a series of pumps and trailers that can be remotely manoeuvred into location.
The two C-17s providing this support are in addition to the RAAF C-17 already in Japan.
The two C-17s are required due to the size of the water canon system.
One of the C-17s will return equipment used in Japan by Australia’s Urban Search and Rescue Team in Japan to Australia.
The Japanese military has expressed its gratitude to the Australian air crews flying around the clock in support of disaster-relief efforts on Operation PACIFIC ASSIST.
Colonel Hiroyoshi Ohura, a senior-ranking officer in the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF), welcomed the RAAF C-17A Globemaster III back from one of its missions over the weekend transporting emergency services personnel, vehicles and equipment from Okinawa to the Japanese mainland for the disaster-relief effort.
Colonel Ohura was representing Chief of Staff of the Japan Air Self Defence Force General Shigeru ‘Rocky’ Iwasaki, who wished to express his personal thanks to the Royal Australian Air Force, Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin and the minister for defence Stephen Smith.