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Koku Jieitai hosts live fire airfield damage repair demonstration

  • Published
  • By Capt. AnnMarie Annicelli
  • 5th Air Force

Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self Defense Force) hosted U.S. Air Force members during their two-day, live-fire rapid airfield damage repair demonstration, August 8-9, 2018, Ohjoji-hara Exercise Range, Sendai, Japan.

The ADR live-fire demonstration offered the U.S. Air Force and Koku Jieitai civil engineering communities the opportunity to safely practice rapid airfield damage repair while building a common understanding of new technology and advanced systems that ensures our forces can swiftly recover from damage and reduce mission impact.

“During this year's combined ADR demonstration, the Koku Jieitai showcased an impressive exhibition of skill and capability for recovering an airfield using both legacy and modernized repair means. The Hyakuri, Komatsu and Iruma base teams demonstrated their capabilities to repair a large crater by using legacy techniques and systems on the first day, and employing more modern systems such as the Rapid Airfield Damage Assessment System and small unmanned aircraft systems to assess damage for rapid repairs of small craters on the second day," explained Maj Nicholas Nabors, Chief of Expeditionary Engineering Modernization, Air Force Civil Engineer Center. “Being able to collaborate with partner nations helps us to reinforce our ADR capability and is something we actively pursue and are truly excited to be a part of.”

In addition to further developing Koku Jieitai base resiliency capabilities, the demonstration built upon the recently signed declaration of spirit of cooperation by ensuring both countries are working towards their goals in the five-year plan, one of which being civil engineering interoperability.

 “As part of the five year plan, we look forward to further exercises where the U.S. Air Force and Koku Jieitai can train on agile and advanced airfield repair techniques,” said Col. Doug Gilpin, 5th Air Force Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection. “Demonstrations like this provide an opportunity to share lessons learned and new technology to decrease airfield repair time and increase mission return rates and readiness.”

Events such as the rapid live fire ADR demonstration continue to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance and demonstrate the commitment from both U.S. Air Force and Koku Jieitai to expand areas of collaboration.