Defence Minister Bids Farewell to Japan Self-Defence Forces as Forest Fire Suppression Mission Concludes
Today, I am present on the deck of this ship to personally see off the JSDF forest fire suppression assistance mission, which will return to their home country in the coming days,” said Sjafrie, while seeing off the troops from the Japanese vessel LST-03 Kunisaki, which was docked at Kijing International Port, Mempawah Regency, West Kalimantan, on Wednesday.
The Indonesian Defence Minister, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, officially released the Japan Self-Defence Forces (JSDF) after they completed their mission to assist in extinguishing forest and land fires in West Kalimantan.
The assistance mission was part of Japan’s support for managing forest and land fires in West Kalimantan, deploying three CH-4mnist Chinook heavy-lift helicopters transported via the JS Kunisaki ship.
The Acting Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre, Berton SP Panjaitan, stated that the Indonesian government expressed its appreciation to the Japanese Government for the support provided during the fire management mission.
The Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia, Ueno Atsushi, expressed his appreciation for the extraordinary welcome and support received from the Indonesian government during the mission’s execution.
According to Ueno, this forest fire suppression mission outside of Japan represents the first experience for the Japan Self-Defence Forces.
The mission also demonstrates the cooperation between Indonesia and Japan in disaster management, particularly when Indonesia faces forest and land fires that require aerial suppression support.
The three Japanese Chinook helicopters arrived in West Kalimantan on 10 September 2026, having been transported by the JS Kunisaki, which travelled from Japan to Indonesia.
The conclusion of the JSDF mission marks the end of Japan’s direct support in the forest fire suppression operations in West Kalimantan, while the management of the remaining fires will be continued by the National Task Force alongside local governments and volunteers.