Japan Decides to Dispatch SDF Planes to Malaysia for Jet Search

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Defense Ministry decided Wednesday to dispatch four Self-Defense Forces aircraft to Malaysia in cooperation for search of a missing jet. This will be the first time for the ministry to send SDF aircraft overseas in a mission to search a missing plane. At the day's meeting, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Japan should provide utmost support promptly after understanding local conditions. Based on the law on the dispatch of emergency rescue missions abroad, the ministry will send two P-3C patrol aircraft of the Maritime SDF and two C-130 transport planes of the Air SDF with some 100 people. A four-member advance team is scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday to discuss with local authorities how to search the Malaysia Airlines jet, which disappeared over the South China Sea on Saturday with 239 passengers and crewmembers on board after departing from the Malaysian capital for Beijing. The SDF aircraft will use an airport near Kuala Lumpur and try to find the jet around the Malay Peninsula, according to the ministry. END