Navy

Japan To Get First Aircraft Carriers Since World War II

Japan will not have aircraft carriers, but it will have Multi-Purpose Operation Destroyers. To a lay person the difference is only in the name. Two current ‘Helicopter Destroyers’ will be modified to carry F-35B fighters.

Actually, the return to de facto aircraft carriers has been a multi-step journey, at least in naval architecture terms. Starting in the Cold War, Japan built extra-large destroyers equipped with more helicopters than those of other nations. The Shirane class were 7,500 tons and could carry 3 Sea King helicopters. Other countries' destroyers could carry one or two helicopters. But there was no suggestion that they might carry jet aircraft.

The ships which followed them were in a different league altogether. Euphemistically called 'helicopter destroyers,' these have the look and feel of flat-top aircraft carriers. And at 19,000 tons they are larger than some of the light carriers in service with other navies. But the biggest was yet to come. The follow-on Izumo class comes in at 27,000 tons. It is these 2 ships which are slated to receive F-35B Lightning-II jets.

Japan formally announced the purchase of 42 Lockheed Martin F-35B jets in August. These are the jump jet version, capable of short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) operations. This allows them to operate aboard Japan’s new carriers. The air force already operates the larger F-35A model which is not capable of landing on the new carriers. By the time the -B models enter service, probably in the 2020s, the carriers should be ready to receive them.