The Japanese Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense announced that the US Navy’s multi-role fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, successfully landed on the deck of the Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Kaga for the first time during testing. The ship is part of the Izumo class.
“Naval trials will allow the use of recent modifications to the ship for conducting operations with aircraft,” said Michael Land, a public affairs officer at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. “The tests will also pave the way for enhancing the ability of allies to operate together.”
The Commander of the Japan Self-Defense Forces Maritime Self-Defense Force, Captain Shusaku Takeuchi of the JS Kaga, added that this test is essential for strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities and is of utmost importance. He emphasized that the team is doing everything possible to achieve successful test results.
“This test not only expands the capabilities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, but also enhances operational interoperability between Japan and the United States,” clarified Captain Shusaku Takeuchi. “It strengthens the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance, thereby contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
In September, it became known that the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga, one of Japan’s two largest warships, plans to conduct onboard operational tests of F-35B aircraft off the coast of San Diego, California. The tests will last from October 5 to November 18.
With support from the US Navy and the US Marine Corps, F-35B fighters are set to conduct initial trials, including short takeoffs, vertical landings, and flights from the JS Kaga destroyer, which has been converted into a full-fledged helicopter carrier capable of accepting F-35B aircraft. Around 20 members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force are participating in the operational tests.
Currently, the Japan Self-Defense Forces are modifying two Izumo-class helicopter destroyers, JS Izumo and JS Kaga, to transform them into light aircraft carriers. These ships are 248 meters long with a standard displacement of 19,500 tons. The conversion of the Izumo-class ships into aircraft carriers is aimed at strengthening deterrence against the Chinese military, which has been aggressively advancing in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.
Both ships have already been modified through periodic retrofitting and major repairs, which take place every five years. At the end of March this year, the destroyer JS Kaga underwent its first major modification, during which the bow was updated to a rectangular shape. Part of the ship’s deck was also made heat-resistant to withstand the heat generated during aircraft landings.
During the 2024 fiscal year, as part of its second modification, JS Izumo is undergoing a change to its flight deck, with the bow being altered from a trapezoidal to a square shape. JS Kaga underwent similar modifications during the 2023 fiscal year. The ministry has announced that the modification of JS Izumo is expected to be completed by the 2027 fiscal year, while the modifications for Kaga are set to be finished by the 2028 fiscal year.
The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has not yet received any US-made F-35Bs, although the first one is expected to be delivered to Japan by the end of the 2024 fiscal year, around March 2025. Japan plans to acquire a total of 42 F-35B fighters. The Ministry of Defense plans to station these fighters at an airbase in Miyazaki Prefecture during the current fiscal year, establishing a temporary F-35B squadron there.
Source: navalnews
