Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Shinaki and US-2 Search and Rescue (SAR) amphibians were deployed to support the recently concluded multilateral Sama Sama-Lumbas 2022 exercise involving the navies of six countries including the Philippines, United States, Australia, France , Japan and the United Kingdom – to promote regional security cooperation, maritime partnership and maritime interoperability.
The exercise is the first to combine bilateral naval-to-naval Samasama (Philippines-US) and Rembas (Philippines-Australia) exercises.
In an interoperability demonstration, two U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) personnel assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded a JMSDF US-2 amphibious aircraft and flew into the exercise area while interacting with the on-site ships to communicate.
US-2 made a sea landing that enabled the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force SAR team and the embarked Marines to deploy a hard-hulled inflatable boat and conduct small boat SAR operations.
“In an exercise led by the Philippine, U.S. and Australian navies, U.S. Marines boarded Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force aircraft and integrated forces with ships at sea for a lot of planning and innovation,” said U.S. Navy Brigadier General Timothy said Captain Am Rabenz. Deploy 7th Destroyer Squadron.
“This is truly multilateral training that builds capacity and readiness for real-world events and helps ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” added Capt LaBenz.
The ShinMaywa US-2 is the latest amphibious aircraft operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, with eight aircraft known to be in service and a ninth aircraft under construction. The aircraft first entered service in 2007, replacing the aging US-1A SAR-optimized amphibious aircraft introduced by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in 1975. Early aircraft were also developed by the same company.
The US-2 is a vastly improved platform over its predecessor, featuring an improved design including a glass cockpit, pressurized hull, and aero and hydrodynamic improvements. The model is also powered by four Rolls-Royce AE2100 turboprop engines feeding six-bladed Dowty R414 propellers designed to support short take-off and landing (STOL) operations, and is driven by a dedicated LHTEC T800 powerplant compression machine to achieve boundary layer control. Increase lift.
After the Japanese government lifted a long-standing military export ban in April 2014, it had discussed potential US-2 sales with regional countries such as India and Indonesia, although neither attempt went ahead. It is understood that other regional countries, including Thailand, have also expressed interest in the aircraft in recent years.
by Jr Ng
