Japan’s “Mini-Carriers” Help Form F-35 Deterrence “Air Wall” in Pacific

By Kris Osborn, President, Warrior

Japan’s F-35B-armed mini-carriers could prove pivotal to an allied Pacific coalition of nations looking to preserve air superiority throughout the region and project power in vast, maritime region. The networking ability of US, South Korean and Japanese F-35s could, in effect, form a 5th-generation aerial “perimeter” stretching from the Korean Peninsula south to the Philippines and Japan.

These small Japanese carriers first emerged in Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force photos, showing a redesigned helicopter-carrying amphibious assault ship configured to carry F-35s. While able to project 5th-generation air power, the mini-carriers also transport forces, helicopter and perform smaller, more mobile, carrier-like functions.

  Japan’s mini-carriers, called JS Kaga and the JZ Izumo, the operate with a maximum displacement 27,000 tons with a full load and an 814-ft flight deck, a ship vastly smaller than US Navy carriers which displace more than 100,000 tons. 

This configuration makes sense for a number of key reasons, particularly given Japan’s multi-billion dollar F-35B buy and long-standing technological partnership with the United States in key weapons development areas such as Aegis Combat Systems and Standard Missiles such as the SM-3 Block IIA. Japan and the US Marine Corps have in recent months performed several joint training exercises launching and landing F-35Bs from each other’s warships. Marine Corps Wasp-class amphibs can interoperate with Japanese F-35B and the Japanese mini-carriers can accommodate US Marine Corps F-35Bs.

Japan has also been massively revving up its military budget and defense posture in recent years, citing a growing and problematic Chinese threat. Japan’s Ministry of Defense requested $52.9 billion in defense spending in 2023, and the country is now several years into a massive multi-billion F-35 buy.

Deploying smaller “mini-carriers” such as this makes great strategic and tactical sense for Japan, as smaller platforms able to deliver F-35Bs are of course smaller and more difficult to hit targets for Chinese anti-ship missiles.  They are also likely faster and more maneuverable than massive US Navy carriers and could likely operate in close coordination with forward operating US Navy amphibs to project 5th-generation air power in any potential conflict. 

Japan Mini-Carrier Advantage