Operation Pacific Assist

Operation Pacific Assist
15th Brigade vehicles unloading from C-17 at Yokota Air Base
TypeEmergency Relief Operation
Location
Japan
Commanded byADF & NZDF[citation needed]
ObjectiveEarthquake victim relief (transportation support)
DateMarch 14, 2011 – March 25, 2011

Operation Pacific Assist was an operation commenced by Australian Defence Force and New Zealand Defence Force[citation needed] together with Emergency Management Australia and Emergency Management New Zealand[citation needed] as an effort to support the relief activity on the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster which occurred in Japan. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)[citation needed] deployed C-17A Globemaster III aircraft onto the transportation support activity.

  • This article is not about "Operation Pacific Assist 2015".

Summary

Prior to the Queensland floods and Christchurch earthquake, an Emergency Services Task Force was created by emergency response personnel from Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane in Australia, and there is also the emergency response personnel from Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand.[citation needed] On March 14, 2011, RAAF and RNZAF[citation needed] are transported the Task Force into Yokota Air Base with a C-17A.[1]

The C-17A then remain in Japan to provide transportation help for Japanese and American government, includes for example, transporting vehicles and personnel of 15th Brigade of Japan Ground Self-Defence Force from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa to Yokota Air Base,[2] and transporting drinking water from Chitose Air Base to Hanamaki Airport.[3] These operations are also helped by United States Forces Japan.[4]

On March 22, 2011, in order to help with containing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, two additional C-17A carrying water cannon system have been sent to Japan.[5] At that point, three out of the four C-17s operated by the RAAF and RNZAF[citation needed] were sent to Japan.

Operation Pacific Assist ended on March 25, 2011. During the operation, 23 sorties were commenced, transporting more than a million pounds of cargo, including 41 vehicles and 135 personnel.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Australian Government Department of Defence. "Operation Pacific Assist". Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  2. ^ "RAAF C-17 flying around the clock in Japan". RAAF Public Affairs. USAF Yokota AB. 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  3. ^ JASDF Chitose Air Base (15 March 2011). "災害派遣情報". Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2011.(in Japanese)
  4. ^ Minister for Defence, Australia (19 March 2011). "Operation PACIFIC ASSIST- Extension of ADF relief efforts in Japan". Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  5. ^ Minister for Defence, Australia (22 March 2011). "Operation PACIFIC ASSIST – Two additional RAAF C-17s deployed". Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  6. ^ "Operation PACIFIC ASSIST- Final C-17 returns from Japan". 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
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