japan's modified aircraft carrier "kaga" will go to the united states to test f-35b takeoff and landing
2024-09-12
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reference news reported on september 12 according to a report by kyodo news on september 10, the top leader of the japan maritime self-defense force, chief of staff of the maritime self-defense force, saito satoshi, said at a press conference on the 10th that the helicopter destroyer "kaga" will be sent to the united states from october 5 to november 18 to conduct shipboard take-off and landing tests using the us stealth fighter f-35b off the coast of san diego, california. in the actual aircraft carrier transformation in march this year, the bow part of the "kaga" was changed from a trapezoid to a rectangle, and a part of the deck was heat-resistant to cope with the high temperature when the fighter jets landed.
saito said: "in order to defend the seas and airspace surrounding japan, including the vast pacific side, it is indispensable to take off and land fighter jets at sea." he emphasized: "gaining the ability to operate the f-35b will enhance defense capabilities and contribute to peace and stability in the indo-pacific region."
according to the maritime self-defense force, it will receive support from the u.s. navy and the u.s. marine corps to test the f-35b's short-distance takeoff and vertical landing from the ship. in addition to confirming the order of putting the aircraft body into the hangar using the elevator installed on the deck, it will also confirm whether there are any problems with the size of various equipment during refueling, maintenance, and shutdown. the "kaga" is scheduled to depart from the maritime self-defense force kure base in hiroshima prefecture on september 17.
according to a report on the u.s. naval institute website on september 10, the japan maritime self-defense force announced on the 10th that the country's largest warship, the izumo-class aircraft carrier kaga (ddh-184), will go to california, usa, to conduct research and development tests of the f-35b lightning ii joint attack fighter in the waters of san diego, and collect short-range/vertical take-off and landing carrier-based aircraft operating data for japan's two izumo-class warships, the izumo (ddh-183) and the kaga.
the report said that the two warships were originally built as helicopter carriers, but japan is modifying them so that they can carry f-35bs. the izumo completed the first phase of the modification in 2021, including upgrading the flight deck and landing equipment, repainting the deck lines, and applying a heat-resistant coating to the deck to withstand the heat generated by the f-35b exhaust.
the kaga has undergone a larger-scale first-stage modification. the modification began in 2022 and was completed on march 29 this year. the bow flight deck was changed from a trapezoidal shape to a rectangular shape, similar in appearance to the us wasp-class and america-class amphibious assault ships. the same modification was also carried out on the izumo.
the second phase of the izumo modification may be launched later this year or before the start of the next fiscal year in april next year (japan's fiscal year runs from april 1 to march 31 of the following year), involving the modification of the rectangular deck and the configuration of internal compartments and components to meet the operation of the f-35b, including ammunition magazines that can store f-35b ammunition. the specific internal configuration will refer to the test results of the kaga. during the test, the japan maritime self-defense force will test the activities of the f-35b on the new deck of the kaga. since the izumo will be the first to undergo deck modification, there is enough time to analyze the test results of the kaga. the izumo is expected to complete the modification together with the kaga at the end of fiscal 2026, and then return to the fleet for internal reconfiguration.
the test on the kaga was the second carrier-based test of the f-35b fighter jet conducted by the maritime self-defense force. on october 3, 2021, two f-35b fighter jets from the 242nd fighter attack squadron of the u.s. marine corps stationed at iwakuni marine corps air station in japan were tested on the izumo.
japan has ordered 42 f-35b fighters, six of which are scheduled to be delivered by the end of fiscal 2024, and the japan air self-defense force will use these fighters on aircraft carriers.
in addition to limited testing, the maritime self-defense force has been engaging and collecting data with italy, the united kingdom and the united states, countries that have experience flying f-35b aircraft carriers. the british royal navy's "queen elizabeth" aircraft carrier and italy's "giant cavour" aircraft carrier visited japan in 2021. last november, a delegation from the japan maritime self-defense force and the air self-defense force participated in the f-35b testing conducted by the british royal navy's "prince of wales" aircraft carrier on the east coast of the united states. (compiled by wang dongdong)
