Japanese Helicopters Struggle to Combat West Kalimantan Forest Fires Due to Low Visibility

The Japanese government has deployed approximately 300 personnel and three CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Indonesia to assist in managing forest and land fires (karhutla) in West Kalimantan. However, firefighting operations remain constrained by poor visibility.

The deployment of Japanese forces is part of an international emergency aid team sent at the request of the Indonesian government. Troops and supporting equipment have been brought to Indonesia to carry out fire management missions, including aerial suppression.

Staff Public Affairs Lieutenant Colonel Koga Takeshi stated that the decision to send aid was made after receiving a request from the Indonesian government, with West Kalimantan identified as one of the primary operational areas.

“Because the scale of the fires in West Kalimantan is quite large, through coordination with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence, we decided to conduct activities in this region,” said Kuju when met at Kijing International Port, Mempawah Regency, on Tuesday (15/09/2026).

For this mission, around 300 Japanese personnel have been deployed alongside three CH-47 Chinook helicopters. They possess extensive experience in managing forest fires, including conducting aerial firefighting.

Despite the deployment of troops and aircraft, aerial suppression operations cannot be performed optimally at all times. The smoke from the forest fires in West Kalimantan has become a significant obstacle, as it impairs visibility and flight safety.

“Because we are using helicopters, poor visibility caused by smoke is one of the primary issues,” said Koga.