1. Following the Japanese Government decision to dispatch Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) international disaster relief unit to Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province, Indonesia, three vessels belonging to the Maritime Self-Defense Force, namely Amphibious ship “Kunisaki”, Fast supply ship “Tokiwa” and Destroyer “Kurama”, will arrive off the coast of Banda Aceh on 24 January, 2005. Activities of JSDF constitute an important part of Japan’s assistance to the disaster caused by the earthquake and the tsunami in this region.

2. Major relief activities of JSDF arriving in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam will be air lifts of relief materials from Banda Aceh and other local airports to disaster areas using five helicopters (three CH-47JA and two UH-60JA) of the GSDF based on the Amphibious ship “Kunisaki” and medical assistance and epidemics prevention activity in disaster areas by the medical support unit of the GSDF.

3. Advanced medical support unit of the GSDF (about 20 personnel) arrived in Banda Aceh on 16 January, and already started their activity at a field hospital set up on 19 January. Two C-130H aircrafts of the ASDF based on Utapao, Thailand are participating in the airlift operation of relief materials between Medan and Banda Aceh since 10 January.

4. The total number of JSDF personnel engaged in this disaster relief activities in Indonesia is approximately 970 which consists of about 230 personnel from the Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF), about 640 personnel from the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF), about 90 personnel from the Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) and about 20 personnel from the Joint Staff Office (some of them hold a post in GSDF, MSDF, or ASDF concurrently).