Japan Press Weekly

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2015 July 29 - August 4 [US FORCES]

US copter dropping blank rounds was part of assault operation drill

Akahata learned on July 28 that a U.S. military helicopter, which mistakenly dropped three blank cartridges onto the premises of a junior high school in Shizuoka a week before, may have been participating in a U.S. special force’s assault operation training exercise without nearby residents knowing about it.

A local Peace Committee routinely monitoring the U.S. Atsugi base (Yamato/Ayase Cities, Kanagawa Pref.) told Akahata that three MH-60M Blackhawk helicopters were flying over residential areas near the base between July 20 and July 25.

These helicopters are assigned to the 4th Battalion of the U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State .

The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force notified in advance the municipalities in the vicinity of the GSDF Higashi Fuji training area (Shizuoka Pref.) that U.S. helicopters were to conduct landing-takeoff practices and use blank ammunition in the drill. However, the information was not conveyed to nearby residents.

According to Akahata, the U.S. aircraft which caused the drop accident on July 21 may be part of the so-called Night Stalkers unit, a U.S. Army elite unit that engaged in the operation to capture armed group leaders in Somalia (1993) and the operation to kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan (2011).

The latest incident again shed light on the use of U.S. bases and SDF maneuver sites located in and around the Tokyo metropolitan area as a stronghold for U.S. special forces with surrounding residents mostly unaware of this.

Past related article:
> US helicopter drops blank ammo rounds on schoolyard in Shizuoka [July 23, 2015]