SDF's biggest ships are being converted into de facto aircraft carriers
www.japantimes.co.jp
The Izumo and Kaga, each about 248 meters in length and 38 meters in width, are the largest vessels in the MSDF.

The Maritime Self-Defense Force is upgrading its Izumo and Kaga destroyers into de facto aircraft carriers, equipping them to operate the F-35B stealth fighter, which features short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.

Performance tests conducted in October and November last year, with cooperation from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, confirmed that the upgraded Kaga can accommodate the F-35B without issue.

  • aeronmelon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    6 days ago

    When the Kaga was built, it was only designed to accommodate helicopters (as can be seen in your before picture) and maybe a couple of tilt-rotors.

    It was an aircraft landing platform, but not an airplane launcher. Even a VTOL jet would have a bad day trying to land and take off on such a narrow and moving target.

    Now with America’s blessing, it’s being retrofitted to allow for all type of aircraft and be a true carrier in the military sense.

    It’s actually a little bit of history repeating. Some of Imperial Japan’s aircraft carriers were also retrofits of ships that weren’t originally meant to serve that purpose (including the IJN Kaga).

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.todayEnglish
      5·
      6 days ago

      Now with America’s blessing, it’s being retrofitted to allow for all type of aircraft

      It’s being retrofitted to allow for STOVL aircraft, not “all type of aircraft”. They are not installing catapults, arresting gear, or the angled deck needed for CATOBAR operations.

      and be a true carrier in the military sense.

      True. It will definitely be a true carrier in the military sense. The F-35B is a very capable aircraft, and they will be able to operate a wide variety of helicopters and

      Just to put it in perspective: It will be comparable to what the US navy calls an “Amphibious Assault Ship” (Wasp and America classes, carrying ~20 aircraft each) than its current “Carriers” (Nimitz and Ford classes, with ~90 aircraft each).

    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      4·
      6 days ago

      Also, the original Kaga being an aircraft carrier was because the US was more-concerned about Japan having a ton of battleships that might be a threat to the US and negotiated battleship limits in the Washington Naval Treaty, so it was converted into an aircraft carrier…which turned out when World War II came around, to be a lot more potent than battleships were, so there was an even earlier reversal in position.