Japan now has ships carrying F35B fighters, after 79 years without an aircraft carrier
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) unveiled the newly modified Kaga multi-role helicopter carrier to the press on April 8 at the Kure base in Hiroshima Prefecture, much to China's disappointment, after completing the first phase of the transformation process.
After undergoing two years of extensive modifications, the Japanese multi-role helicopter carrier is now capable of hosting fixed-wing fighter jets. The ship can now accommodate vertical take-off fighters and F-35Bs, although this required structural modifications.
One of the notable changes is the conversion of the ship's flat deck to withstand the exhaust heat generated by vertical take-off and landing fighters. The deck is now coated in heat-resistant paint and takeoff markings, including a distinctive yellow line, have been added to guide aircraft during operations.
Furthermore, the shape of the Kaga's bow was transformed from a trapezoid to a rectangle to resolve turbulence issues during aircraft take-off and ensure a safe clearance for operations. This modification aligns the Kaga's design more closely with that of full-scale aircraft carriers.
The Kaga helicopter carrier after the transformation
Fifth-generation F-35B fighter jets can direct their jet engine nozzles downward, allowing for short takeoff and vertical landing operations.
Captain Ichiro Kokubu, commander of the Kaga, underlined the importance of the ship's transformation, saying: “ It is the first time that the MSDF has undertaken such a large (modification) job.”
He expressed the JMSDF's commitment to leveraging the Kaga's enhanced capabilities to effectively contribute to national security.
Kaga, Japan's second Izumo-class helicopter carrier, now resembles the U.S. Navy's America-class amphibious assault ships. It will now be the first full-fledged aircraft carrier in the Japanese fleet since 1945
A ship with a historic name
Kaga was the nation's second ship of this class. The Izumo-class ships have the distinction of being the largest surface combatant ships in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, with an impressive overall length of 248 meters.
The ship will then be further modified to meet the new needs, and the new round of works will definitively end in 2027 after starting in 2026. In this phase the ship will be further expanded to increase the capacity to accommodate aircraft.
Likewise, the first ship of the class, Izumo, is expected to undergo the second phase of modifications in the current fiscal year. The JMSDF expects both ships to complete all upgrades necessary to operate as light aircraft carriers, supporting F-35B fighters, around fiscal year 2027. At that point the two Japanese carriers will host 42 F-35Bs.
Officially the ship is not an aircraft carrier, but a multipurpose cruiser, and this is not to remind too much of its famous, even in a negative sense, ancestor. The name Kaga derives from that of an ancient province of Japan, but is above all known for having been used for a famous aircraft carrier which took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and was then sunk in 1942 in the Battle of Midway.
The Kaga aircraft carrier as it appeared in 1940
Now Japan has what is, objectively, another aircraft carrier with the same name
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The article Now Japan Has Ships Carrying F35B Fighters, After 79 Years Without an Aircraft Carrier comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/ora-il-giappone-ha-delle-navi-che-portano-caccia-f35b-dopo-79-anni-senza-portaerei/ on Tue, 09 Apr 2024 19:50:29 +0000.