A SDF helicopter gets prepared to leave for tsunami-relief effort in Southern Asia.

Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono issued the dispatch order Jan. 7 following talks with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

The troops will mainly provide medical and transport support, a Defense Agency spokesman said. The contingent includes some 640 naval personnel, 220 ground forces and 100 air force personnel.

Apart from the military dispatch, Japan, which is striving to play a prominent role in the tsunami crisis, has pledged $500 million in grant aid to tsunami-ravaged countries and offered to share its system to predict seismic waves.

At least 24 Japanese citizens have been confirmed dead in the catastrophe while 68 remain unaccounted for, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 15, 2005
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