Operation Pacific Assist

Operation Pacific Assist was an operation commenced by Australian Defense Force together with Emergency Management Australia as an effort to support the relief activity on the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami which occurred in Japan. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) deployed C-17A Globemaster III aircraft onto the transportation support activity.

Summary
An Emergency Services Task Force was been created by emergency response personnel from New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland. On March14, RAAF transported the Task Force into Yokota Air Base with a C-17A.

The C-17A then remain in Japan to provide transportation help for Japanese and American government, includes for example, transporting vehicles and personnel of 15th Brigade of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa to Yokota Air Base,  and transporting drinking water from Chitose Air Base to Hanamaki Airport. These operations are also helped by United States Forces Japan.

On March 22, in order to help with containing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, two additional C-17A carrying water cannon system have been sent to Japan. At that point, three out of the four C-17s operated by the RAAF were sent to Japan.

Operation Pacific Assist ended on March 25, 2011. During the operation, 23 sorties were commenced, transporting more than a million pounds of cargo, including 41 vehicles and 135 personnel.

External Link

 * Operation Pacific Assist