As part of what constitutes the 67th Antarctic Regional Observation Expedition, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has announced that it is operating its CH-101 helicopters to provide support for scientific activities, which will take place between Wednesday, November 19, 2025, and Thursday, April 23 of the current year. According to information released by the institution through its official channels, the expedition is led by the icebreaker AGB-5003 Shirase, which is equipped with a flight deck capable of operating the aforementioned rotary-wing platform and is commanded by Captain Tsuyoshi Iwase.
Providing further details, it was indicated that this edition of the expedition will have a crew of around 180 people, of whom approximately 63 will undertake the outbound voyage from the Australian city of Fremantle to Showa Station, located on East Ongul Island, about two kilometers off the coast of the Antarctic continent. In addition, during the return voyage, the deployed assets are expected to bring back more than one hundred people currently stationed in Antarctica in order to complete the personnel rotation.
It was also detailed that during the mission a total of 1,100 tons of cargo will be transported to supply the base in question, while at the same time some 300 tons of waste and other materials will be removed and brought back to Japan, part of which was used in construction tasks on the island. In the specific case of the CH-101 helicopters, it was noted that they will take part in support and field observation tasks, facilitating the execution of the activities listed above.
It is worth recalling at this point that the CH-101 helicopters are platforms developed on the basis of the MCH-101 model as a variant specifically designed for Antarctic expeditions, while nevertheless retaining many components from their original military version. As such, they are aircraft manufactured under license by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with the design being a development by Leonardo (specifically its AW101 model). Among the various characteristics of the platform, the manufacturers highlight that it is a multi-role model capable of reaching speeds of up to 150 kt, achieved thanks to its Rolls-Royce RTM322-02/08 engines rated at 2,150 horsepower.
Finally, it is important to highlight that the MCH-101 helicopter fleet was reinforced in 2023 with the announcement of the purchase of additional new helicopters, as well as through a modernization program outlined for the existing units. As we reported in July of that year, in the context of the Paris Air Show, the process aimed to upgrade the fleet’s avionics to the latest available standards.
Image credits: @JMSDF_PAO on X
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