Japan's largest Maritime Self-Defense Force transport ship departed Wednesday for Indonesia's Sumatra Island as part of a relief mission to the worst-hit area of the Dec. 26 tsunamis triggered by a massive earthquake.
The 8,900-ton Kunisaki left the MSDF base at Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, with the refueling ship Tokiwa to join the international effort to help survivors of the tsunami disaster. Aboard the transport ship are five Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters and 20 GSDF trucks.
Combined with other forces to be sent later this month, including a destroyer, an Air Self-Defense Force C-130 transport aircraft and U-4 utility plane, 60 GSDF medics, as well as an ASDF C-130 already in the region, they will form the largest emergency relief operation ever conducted by the Self-Defense Forces outside of Japan.