Japanese 'Aircraft Carrier' to Operate With U.S. Navy Next Year - During the Second World War, aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy never approached the West Coast of the United States – but eighty years later, one of Japan's largest warships will head to the East Coast next year to conduct drills with the U.S. Navy.

One of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) Izumo-class helicopter-carrying destroyers, which has been converted to operate with the short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II, will be deployed to conduct carrier operations.

The announcement comes as the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) has completed its third phase of a series of F-35B tests in the same waters.

The Japanese flattop is expected to conduct similar trials a year from now, USNI News first reported on Monday. A delegation from the JMSDF has been observing portions of the trials, which will help them prepare for carrying out the same drills in 12 months.

The JMSDF does not have a naval aviation fighter component – at least not yet. Instead, it was reported that Japan's F-35Bs likely will be operated by a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) squadron. The island nation is expected to receive six F-35Bs in 2024 from a total order of 42 aircraft and a provisional F35B squadron will be established the same year.

Japan Will Again Operate Sort of Aircraft Carriers

Tokyo hasn't operated actual aircraft carriers since the end of the Second World War, but in August 2013, Japanese officials announced that its two helicopter destroyers would be modified for use in national defense – notably to confront China's naval expansion.

However, the Japanese decision to modify the ships had been seen with caution in China, which has described it as an aircraft carrier in disguise and suggested that it could be used to launch other fixed-wing aircraft.

Japanese military sources have confirmed that the possibility of operating such fixed-wing aircraft had been incorporated into its design. However, that fact was not made public as Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which was adopted after World War II prohibits Japan from possessing offensive military weapons including aircraft carriers.

First Tests Completed

In October 2021, months after it completed its first phase modifications, a United States Marine Corps F-35B conducted the first-ever takeoff and landing test on JS Izumo. 

The event marked the first time since the days of the Imperial Japanese Navy that a fixed-wing aircraft took off from a Japanese vessel.

A True Aircraft Carrier

In August of this year, JS Kaga (DDH-184) completed the modifications that will allow it to operate with the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter. Images of the warship leaving its dock in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture were shared on X – the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

JS Izumo will next receive its second phase of modifications, which are set to begin in March 2025. It will receive the same squared-off flight deck now sported by Kaga. Those modifications are set to wrap up in 2027.

At that point, Japan will essentially have two carriers. 

Although it won't be as sizeable a fleet as it had during the Second World War, it will operate with far more advanced aircraft and could help serve as a deterrent to China in the Indo-Pacific region.

Author Experience and Expertise

A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.

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