Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force recently announced that the Izumo, the largest destroyer in service, has completed the first stage of its aircraft carrier transformation and successfully conducted take-off and landing tests of US Marine Corps F-35B fighters. This is the first time since World War II that Japan has taken off and landed a fixed-wing aircraft from a Self-Defense Force ship, and it is also an important step for Japan to realize its "aircraft carrier dream". In the next phase, Japan will continue to renovate the Izumo's hull and internal systems, and it is expected that the entire renovation project will be completed by 2025.
The destroyer "Izumo" is the *** mothership of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, commissioned in 2015 with a full load displacement of 270,000 tons, with a fully direct flight deck, island ship island, heavy lift and large hangar and other aircraft carrier features. The ship can carry up to 14 *** 5 *** simultaneous take-off and landing *** The ship's sister ship "Kaga" was commissioned in 2017, and both ships are called "quasi-aircraft carriers" by the outside world.
In 2018, Japan** adopted a new version of the "National Defense Plan Outline", which clearly stated that the "Izumo" class destroyer will be transformed into an aircraft carrier to carry F-35B fighters to enhance naval and air capabilities and Japan-US cooperation capabilities. The F-35B is a short take-off and vertical landing version of the F-35 fighter that can take off and land on a shorter runway or deck, making it suitable for deployment on aircraft carriers or islands. Japan has ordered 42 F-35B fighter jets from the United States, deliveries of which are expected to begin in 2024.
The Izumo's aircraft carrier transformation was carried out in two stages. The first phase of the renovation began in March 2020 and was carried out in conjunction with large-scale scheduled maintenance every five years. In the first stage of the retrofit, the flight deck of the "Izumo" was laid with a heat-resistant coating to prevent the F-35B's tail flames from burning the deck. At the same time, in accordance with the specifications of the US Navy, a yellow centerline for take-off and landing of short vertical take-off and landing aircraft was drawn on the deck. In addition, the ship's radar, communication systems, command systems, etc., have been upgraded to meet the operational needs of the F-35B.
The final step of the first stage of the transformation is to conduct take-off and landing tests of the F-35B. On October 3, two U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighters took off from a U.S. military base in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and made several takeoffs and landings on the destroyer Izumo, and with success. This is the first time since World War II that Japan has taken off and landed a fixed-wing aircraft from a Self-Defense Force ship, and it is also an important step for Japan to realize its "aircraft carrier dream". In a statement after the test, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force said that the test collected a variety of data that would be used to improve Japan-US cooperation capabilities.
The completion of the first stage of transformation means that the "Izumo" already has the ability to take off and land F-35B fighters and is already a real aircraft carrier. In the next phase, Japan will continue to renovate the Izumo's hull and internal systems, and it is expected that the entire renovation project will be completed by 2025. In the second phase of the retrofit, the Izumo's bow shape will be changed from the current trapezoidal to a rectangular shape to make it easier for F-35B fighters to take off and land. At the same time, the ship's hangar, ammunition depot, maintenance depot, flight control room, etc. will be reorganized to meet the maintenance and command needs of the F-35B.
At the same time, Japan also launched the transformation of the Izumo's sister ship, the Kaga, into an aircraft carrier. The renovation of the Kaga is expected to begin at the end of 2021 and will take 14 months. The difference is that the Kaga will complete most of the two-stage transformation of the Izumo in one go, including the change of the bow shape. Only the renovation of the internal compartments, which will be carried out in conjunction with the five-year scheduled maintenance in 2026. If all goes well, Izumo will complete the transformation of the F-35B before Kaga.
Japan's plan to transform an aircraft carrier into an aircraft carrier has aroused the attention and concern of the international community. On the one hand, Japan's possession of aircraft carriers will greatly enhance its military deployment capabilities around the western Pacific, and the United States will also add at least two more sea fortresses in the Asia-Pacific region, which will have a significant impact on the military power structure in the region. On the other hand, after Japan has an aircraft carrier, the offensive combat capability of the Maritime Self-Defense Force will no longer be able to hide it, and the nature of the Self-Defense Force's defensive force will also be completely changed. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether Japan's aircraft carrier program will be successfully realized.