New disaster prevention helicopter enters service in Saitama, Japan

The launch ceremony for the prefecture’s disaster prevention helicopter, Arakawa 2, was held on 24 April at the Prefectural Disaster Prevention Aviation Center in Demaru Shimogo, Kawashima Town. Governor Motohiro Ōno, Prefectural Assembly Chairman Shirato Yukihito, and fire chiefs from the prefecture’s fire department attended to celebrate the launch.

The Arakawa 2 was purchased to replace the previous aircraft, the flight time of which had exceeded the benchmark for replacement. It is manufactured by the Italian company Leonardo, and cost approximately JP¥2.8 billion to launch. It has twice the horsepower of the previous aircraft, and its fuel capacity is 1.4 times larger, allowing it to fly from Saitama to Kochi Prefecture at its maximum capacity. The cabin is also larger, allowing more rescuers to be transported. It is also more resistant to crosswinds, and safety has been improved, with monitors allowing the pilot to monitor obstacles behind and horizontally.

Two aircraft with similar capabilities have already been deployed, bringing the total to three. At the ceremony, the governor said: “We will be able to more reliably protect the safety and security of the people of Saitama Prefecture.”

Leonardo recently developed the first accredited receiver for Galileo’s ultra-secure Public Regulated Service.