YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) —
U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron supported a multinational airborne operation Jan. 17, at Ojojihara Training Area, Miyagi Prefecture, marking the first Japan Ground Self-Defense Force-hosted multinational airborne exercise conducted on Japanese soil.
The operation built on the momentum of New Year Jump Indo-Pacific 2026, which included participation from 14 nations, and served as the tactical phase of a broader training series designed to enhance airborne operational capability and interoperability among allied forces. While NYJIP26 at the JGSDF’s Narashino Training Area in Chiba Prefecture earlier this month was conducted as a ceremonial public demonstration, training at Ojojihara emphasized combat readiness and operational execution.
Operating from Yokota Air Base, four U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron delivered approximately 130 paratroopers from the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division to the drop zone in Miyagi Prefecture. The airborne insertion was conducted in coordination with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, which employed one Kawasaki C-2 and two C-130H Hercules, both assigned to JASDF Air Support Command to transport paratroopers from the JGSDF 1st Airborne Brigade.
The combined force conducted an airborne insertion and transitioned immediately to ground maneuver, executing reconnaissance and consolidation actions to validate command-and-control procedures and combined maneuver capabilities.
The operation required detailed coordination among multiple airlift platforms operating in the same airspace. U.S. Air Force aircrews synchronized rendezvous points, altitudes and airspeeds with JASDF C-2 and C-130H aircraft to operate as a single formation prior to the drop. Aircraft spacing and timing were established based on ground force requirements, with all aircraft slowing to a common drop airspeed before paratrooper exit.
“Flying with multiple airlift platforms requires precise coordination from start to finish,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Larson, 374th Airlift Wing, C-130J pilot. “Once we establish visual contact, we bring the formation together at the same altitude and airspeed and set spacing based on what the ground force needs for a safe and effective drop.”
Despite low cloud ceilings and reduced visibility, aircrews maintained visual conditions and executed a precise airdrop. The C-130J’s automated systems assisted crews in generating accurate airdrop run-in profiles, allowing pilots to focus on formation coordination, drop zone communication and air traffic control. The coordinated airlift enabled ground forces to execute the operation as planned.
“The transition from the New Year Jump at Narashino to a full-scale tactical drop at Ojojihara is where training translates into operational capability,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Kael Jordan, 11th Airborne Division, platoon sergeant. “The rehearsals and coordination we conducted beforehand allowed us to execute safely and effectively alongside our Japanese partners.”
Prior to the Ojojihara operation, participating forces conducted preparatory training at Narashino Training Area, focusing on procedural alignment, joint briefings and coordination drills.
The exercise brought together airborne forces from the United States and Japan to strengthen interoperability and reinforce combined airborne capabilities. The training was conducted as part of a series of linked exercises designed to enhance regional readiness and cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
By Yasuo Osakabe
374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Hasler proposed a solution to a persistent operational problem: German shipping operating from the occupied port of Bordeaux, which had proven difficult for British Bomber Command to interdict. His plan envisioned a ten-man raiding force launched by submarine outside the mouth of the Gironde Estuary. From there, the team would paddle more than eighty miles during periods of limited visibility, emplace limpet mines on enemy shipping, and then evade by any means available, with the ultimate goal of returning to the United Kingdom.
Operation Frankton validated the concept of kayak-borne raiding and directly influenced the development of British maritime special operations doctrine. During this same period, multiple parallel kayak development efforts were underway in the United Kingdom, refining folding designs and techniques that would later inform the Special Boat Service (SBS) and allied units.
Following the Second World War, kayaks remained in service with special operations forces in the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. One of the most compelling post-war examples comes from the Rhodesian Bush War.
Kayaks enabled silent night movement, an extremely low visual and acoustic signature, and continuous repositioning without reliance on fixed bases, vehicles, or aircraft. This operation remains one of the most extreme examples of fieldcraft, endurance, and waterborne stealth in modern special operations history. Conceptually, it aligns more closely with Second World War SBS and Combined Operations Pilotage Party (COPP) missions than with later helicopter-centric SOF models.
Launching at night from offshore, the team paddled in extreme South Atlantic weather to avoid detection. Once ashore, the kayaks were cached and the patrol transitioned to foot movement to conduct reconnaissance of aircraft disposition, defensive routines, and terrain.
When I arrived at 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), I sought assignment to an Underwater Operations Detachment commonly referred to as a dive team. Within three months, I had completed pre-scuba training and the Combat Diver Qualification Course (CDQC). My first deployment took me to Aqaba, Jordan, where kayak infiltration using Klepper folding kayaks was one of the methods we rehearsed.
Over the course of my career, we used kayaks for infiltration training, mothercraft launches, helocasting, and shore insertions. They were also used for long-distance paddling as physical training, team building, and on occasion as improvised fishing platforms. We rehearsed operational employment during a counter-narcotics mission that was ultimately cancelled due to circumstances outside our control.
Over several months, I restored the frame to operational condition and sourced a new skin from Long Haul, which at the time held the U.S. repair contract for the original German Kleppers. Configured in a one-man expedition setup, the kayak is now used for physical training and personal stress relief a functional reminder of a demanding and enduring tradition.
