The MCH-101 is a version manufactured under license by Kawasaki Heavy Industries of the Leonardo AW101 helicopter, operated by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.
During the Paris Air Show 2023, Leonardo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) signed a contract for additional MCH-101 naval helicopters for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), while kicking off the mid-life upgrade (MLU) program for the aircraft type in Japan.
The JMSDF has ten MCH-101s for mine countermeasure and transportation missions and three CH-101s for utility transport used to support Japan’s Antarctic research activities, ensuring commonality within the fleet.
The update programme, which launched this year, will see a batch of aircraft updated to the latest avionics configuration for the MCH-101, aligned to the new helicopters’ configuration and enabling the enhancement of the JMSDF’s operational effectiveness.
For two decades, Leonardo, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Marubeni Aerospace have collaborated on the MCH-101, with KHI as the prime contractor and Leonardo providing technical support for the platform. Marubeni Aerospace Corporation acts as Leonardo’s Distributor and is responsible for spares, ground support equipment and services.
Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters, commented: “We are proud of our close partnership with Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Marubeni Aerospace and today we are excited to celebrate this important milestone and contract. It emphasises the AW101’s important role in Japan’s defence, as well as the outstanding capabilities it delivers among operators worldwide.”
KHI delivered the first AW101 aircraft to the JMSDF on May 24, 2006. In 2015, the first MCH-101 equipped with airborne mine countermeasure systems was delivered to the JMSDF. The AW101/MCH-101’s primary task is Airborne Mine Countermeasure and is one of only two helicopter types capable of towing the AN/AQS-24A, the world’s only operationally proven high-speed airborne minehunting system. The unique 3-engine configuration allows safe operations when towing at low altitude and slow speeds. The first aircraft entered operational service in 2016 and the operator achieved over 25,000 flight hours in 2021.
