In the afternoon of December 1 o’clock, a frame of U.S. army helicopter in Japan has failed to “straight up” and “straight down” crashed into the ocean about 14 KM of the Pacific Ocean to the southeast of the iraq island in Yu flow ma city of Okinawa. Although 7 people were injured, but 17 people were all rescued. According to the Okinawa county government base strategy section, this is the forty-sixth fighter crash accident after return to Okinawa.
However, the news particularly be concerned is not only because of these, but another reason: First, there are 2 people in the event of the injured were the members of the Japanese Self Defense Force. This makes people wanted to ask : What did they do about 2 members of Japanese Self Defense Force in U.S. military helicopter ?
Second, the accident of the helicopter is part of the U.S. army’s UH-60. According to the report of Japanese production news, the selection of next generation helicopter “UH-X” for ground self defense force that started again has been put on hold for a long time. The conditions has been exposed. People began to worry about: Japan will introduce “sick” aircraft from U.S. army.
Third, according Japanese Kyodo news, in the defense budget application of 2016 annual, the Japanese defense ministry planed to purchase 17 SH-60 patrol helicopter at one-time. People are also questioning: since the Maritime Self defense force has seventy P-3C reconnaissance aircraft and Japanese defense ministry also research and develop pure anti submarine patrol aircraft “P-1”that be more advanced, then, Why the MSDF purchase so many patrol helicopters?
People that attention to Japanese military intelligence dynamic all know that Japanese onshore self-defense team has a “quite empty group”, the “quite empty group” has many helicopter that include AH-64D,UH-60J,CH-47J etc. more than ten kids of helicopters. In a variety of exercises each year, the debut of these helicopters earned enough attention and applause for MSDF. So, the problem has come again, why Japanese Self Defense Force so love the helicopter?
First, in order to meet the needs of the new situation. The Japanese Self Defense Force set up a central response group, special warfare group and SWAT team in recent years. The most important task of these special Forces is to dispose all kinds of hazardous national security gray situation that including the implementation of the island mission, to deal with terrorist attacks, etc.. We can get the message that SDF “special warfare group” , “SWAT team” actually receiving the training of long-term U.S. army green beret, “delta force” and the Navy Seal team, from the U.S. military helicopters falling sea incident leaked information, so it is not hard to imagine. Japanese “special forces ” is more adept in using helicopter. Moreover, relative to the jet fighter, the helicopter is small and suitable for various complex environments such as the city streets, mountain island and more suitable for Japanese “special forces” to respond emergencies.
Secondly, from a very early time, Japanese MITSUBISHI heavy industries, Kavasaki heavy industries and other military enterprises have introduced the helicopter produce technology and continue to carry out technical improvements and improved for many years. So even these military giants can produce jet aircraft and was repeatedly exposed to the media sixth generation supersonic stealth fighter. However, the cost of production of armed helicopters lower, more and more high localization rate. So, in the defense budget has been reduced a few years ago, the Japanese defense ministry can only be reserved for the self defense force helicopter.
Finally, do not think that the Japanese Self Defense Forces love the helicopter just because the defense, the Japanese to develop the helicopter in fact, there is an export-oriented intent. As we all know, the degree of integration of the Japanese enterprises and the high degree of civil military, MITSUBISHI heavy industries, Kawasaki heavy industries, both military enterprises, but also the world's famous aircraft manufacturing enterprises. After their introduction of Europe and the United States military helicopter technology, civilian transformation, derived from different types of helicopter rescue, exploration helicopters, transport helicopters, and then seek for export to foreign countries, earn foreign exchange "feedback" military helicopter production line. So a few years later, these military enterprises continue to grow, but also for Japan's foreign sales force to lay the market foundation.