Jakarta. Japan will deploy a disaster relief unit of its Self-Defense Forces to Indonesia to help fight forest and land fires in Kalimantan, the Japanese government said on Friday.

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has ordered the deployment on humanitarian grounds and as part of the countries’ close friendship, Japan’s Defense Ministry said, according to Kyodo.

Japan plans to send the amphibious transport ship Kunisaki carrying three CH-47 heavy-lift transport helicopters and about 600 Self-Defense Forces personnel.

The contingent will depart for Indonesia once technical preparations are completed, the ministry said.

The deployment follows a defense cooperation agreement signed by the Indonesian and Japanese defense ministers in May 2026, under which the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

The fires in Kalimantan have become a recurring environmental challenge, often causing haze that can spread across national borders, threaten public health, and damage biodiversity.

The scale of the affected areas and difficult terrain can make ground operations challenging, increasing the need for large-scale aerial firefighting, including water-bombing operations.

Indonesia and Japan have a long history of cooperation in disaster management, with both countries frequently exposed to natural disasters.

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