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japan maritime self-defense force chief of staff satoshi saito recently announced that the japanese izumo-class helicopter destroyer "kaga" has gone to the waters near san diego, california, usa, to conduct shipboard takeoff and landing tests of f-35b fighter jets. this is the second time the japan maritime self-defense force has conducted an f-35b shipboard takeoff and landing test, which also means that the "kaga" is accelerating its transformation into an aircraft carrier.

during this trip to the united states, the "kaga" will test the f-35b's short-distance takeoff and vertical landing capabilities with the support of the u.s. navy and marine corps. at the same time, it will also verify the process of transferring aircraft to the hangar through elevators, determine the modification plan for the aircraft carrier's hangar, ammunition depot and other cabins, and confirm whether there are any problems with the dimensions of various equipment during refueling, maintenance, and shutdown. the test results will provide a reference for subsequent modifications of the "izumo" and "kaga".

according to the plan, the aircraft carrier transformation of japan's izumo-class helicopter destroyers is divided into two stages. the first phase mainly focuses on the flight deck and take-off and landing system. specifically, it includes changing the bow part from a trapezoid to a rectangular shape, repainting the marking line, and painting the deck with a high-temperature resistant coating to withstand the high-temperature airflow sprayed by the f-35b engine; -35b is equipped with ski jump take-off deck and vertical landing assistance system. in march this year, the "kaga" completed the first phase of modification and went to the united states for testing. the "izumo" will also complete the first phase of transformation in 2021 and conduct actual take-off and landing tests. the second phase mainly involves the transformation of the internal structure of the ship, including the re-planning of hangars, ammunition depots and other spaces and the upgrade of avionics systems. the specific transformation plan will be determined by japan and the united states. the subsequent renovation of the "izumo" and "kaga" is planned to start in early 2025 and be completed by march 2027.

in addition to promoting various tests, the japan maritime self-defense force is also trying to obtain data from f-35b user countries. during the visits to japan by the british navy aircraft carrier "queen elizabeth" and the italian navy aircraft carrier "cavour", the japanese side communicated with them on the use of f-35b. in november 2023, the british navy aircraft carrier "prince of wales" conducted f-35b testing on the east coast of the united states. the japanese maritime self-defense force and air self-defense force sent representatives to observe.

currently, japan has ordered 147 f-35s, including 105 f-35a and 42 f-35b. among them, the first batch of six f-35bs will be delivered at the end of fiscal year 2024, and the air self-defense force will be responsible for receiving and conducting training. therefore, this time the air self-defense force sent about 20 people to the united states with the "kaga" to participate in the test.

analysts pointed out that the "kaga"'s aircraft carrier transformation is accelerating, but there is still a long way to go before it can form initial combat effectiveness and build an aircraft carrier battle group. its future development is mainly affected by three factors.

the first is the progress of the second phase of transformation. this stage mainly focuses on the transformation of the ship structure and supporting equipment, which involves the re-planning of the internal space. there is uncertainty as to whether it can be completed on schedule.

the second is the delivery situation of carrier-based aircraft. currently, the delivery of the f-35 has been repeatedly delayed due to technical updates. the f-35b ordered by japan is likely to be unable to be delivered on time, which will have an impact on the subsequent testing of the "kaga".

the third is the system collaborative training effect. the formation of the initial combat capability of the aircraft carrier battle group means that systems from ships to carrier-based aircraft to early warning and radar systems have been integrated. the "kaga" is still in the early stages of modification. issues such as system coordination can only be discussed after the aircraft carrier transformation is completed and some carrier-based aircraft are delivered. (song)

(editors: chen yu, liu yuanyuan)

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