The Kawasaki BK117 helicopter was jointly developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Germany's Eurocopter-Deutschland. This was Japan's first such international joint program in this field. The aircraft acquired type certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau in 1982. Since then over 110 units have been deivered to customers in Japan and more than 380 units have been delivered elsewhere in the world.
Numerous options allow multipurpose usage.
It improves the safety of flight operations by showing danger zones such as mountains that are higher than the aircraft's present altitude. The BK117 is the only helicopter in Japan to be developed, manufactured, sold and repaired by a single company. The Gifu Works, conveniently situated near the center of the country, can supply parts to customers nationwide within 24 hours. The facility also houses engineers involved in the aircraft's development as well as highly experienced BK117 maintenance personnel, able to handle any request for technical information.