The Defense Ministry on Tuesday used Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters to airlift trucks and other equipment for the construction of U.S. helipads in Okinawa Prefecture, further angering local protesters seeking to block the work.
The ministry's Okinawa bureau, which is in charge of the project, said it used CH-47 transportation helicopters to "carry out construction work safely and smoothly."
It is extremely rare for Self-Defense Forces helicopters to be used for the construction of U.S. military facilities in Japan.