Gyrodyne DSN  / QH‑50 DASH
in Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

When the U.S. Navys DASH program was in full operation, the U.S. Navy loaned the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) three QH-50C drones under the Military Assistance Program (MAP) and sold the JMSDF a single D model aircraft in 1965 to see if DASH could bolster the JMSDFs ASW capabilities. The C model serial numbers were DS-1278, DS-1279 and DS-1280. The D model was DS-1494. After testing, the JMSDF purchased 16 additional QH-50D aircraft from Gyrodyne in 1967 through the Nissho-Iwai Trading company, with the final delivery in September 1971. They were serial numbers J-1 through J-16. By March 31 1971,The JMSDF had flown over 1,440 hours. By September of 1971, SEVEN Japanese Destroyers were flying DASH, with a success rate of 360 hours mean time before failure (MTBF) which was twice the U.S. Navys over-all record. The JMSDF flew the DASH helicopters from their TAKATSUKI and MINEGUMO CLASS DESTROYERS. By 1977 the Japanese had lost only three reported aircraft. What happened to the remaining seventeen QH-50s is not known.