.
From what I understand the US are mobilising helicopters from their Japanese bases and dispatching additional rotorcraft courtesy of the US Navy. But, as is often the case, a significant portion of the critical period (in terms of the rescue response for life-saving endeavours) will have elapsed by the time the number of helicopter assets have swelled. These assets will however become indispensable during the post-disaster recovery period.
Mobilising large numbers of helicopters at short notice for the purposes of international rescue is something which has been discussed over many years and numerous proposals have been tabled by the US and NATO and, at one point, I think there was even a civilian initiative which reached the floor of the British parliament with the aid of some of Bristow's former supporters.
The logistics are, in most cases, unfeasible and the solution must therefore be to develop national and regional emergency response plans which promote the consolidation of all available rotary assets within the shortest possible time. These assets should include all available civilian helicopters (typically those available for charter) and equipment should be devised (if it is not already in existence) which enables civilian craft to perform basic life-saving functions. Training for civilian crews employed by those firms signed-up to such response plans should also be catered for.
Governments need to underwrite these initiatives as an integral part of their national emergency planning and laws need to be effected which give powers to the right people so as to enable them to mobilise equipment and personnel with the minimum amount of 'fuss'.
Of course most of this does already exist in the plans of well-organised governments and is largely executed by their defence forces but .. the integration of civilian and parastatal assets is where, in most cases, extra planning is still required if one wishes to boost life-saving efforts.
Back to Japan; there is little doubt that additional rotorcraft would have saved more lives. Let us hope that many more will indeed be rescued over the coming days.
S.