USAF Jolly Green II deployed to Japan
The US Air Force (USAF) has deployed an HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue helicopter (CSAR) to Kadena Air Base in Japan
The aircraft, which arrived in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture, on 26 January, belongs to the 55th Rescue Generation Squadron, who received their first HH-60W in May 2023.
The Jolly Green II will be used to improve the USAF air base’s ability to respond to life-threatening incidents at sea. The aircraft is equipped to deal with a range of threats and mission types, and is capable of supporting civil search and rescue, disaster relief, medical evacuation, and humanitarian missions.
The HH-60W is the successor to the HH-60G, a number of which are currently stationed at Kadena Air Base. All of these older aircraft will eventually be phased out in favor of the more modern Jolly Green II.
Elsewhere in Japan, the governments of Miyazaki and Nara Prefectures both recently placed orders for Subaru Bell 412EPX helicopters, as part of plans to bolster their respective emergency response capabilities.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.