Nasams Taiwan 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 [https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-shows-off-upgraded-aircraft-carrier-capable-of-launching-f35s-2024-4https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-shows-off-upgraded-aircraft-carrier-capable-of-launching-f35s-2024-4]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” [https://warontherocks.com/2021/10/lightning-carriers-emerge-as-asias-new-capital-ships-strategic-investments-with-varied-operational-value/]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 This is quite significant, because the US and its Pacific allies operate with a decisive 5th-generation advantage in the air. China operates the J-20, but that is a land-launched platform incapable of projection power from the ocean; the J-20 may also be more vulnerable to F-35s and F-22s depending upon the range and fidelity of its sensors and the range and accuracy of its weapons systems. Regardless, the US and its allies are increasingly in a position to operate a large force of F-35s in position to counter or contain China from the air. This kind of tactical thinking is likely a large reason why the Japanese MOD is both acquiring F-35s and building “mini-carriers.” Countering China Japan’s growing military budget and large-scale military expansion and weapons developers is, in large measure, related to growing threats from China. Japan’s MOD has also made substantial progress in recent years with collaborative weapons developments with the United States on systems such as Aegis radar, the SM-3 Block IIA and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block 2. Japan's concern about China has therefore been accelerating in recent years to a large extent, as evidenced by the Japanese MOD’s “Defense of Japan 2022.” [https://www.mod.go.jp/en/publ/w_paper/wp2022/DOJ2022_Digest_EN.pdf] The Japanese document, as explained in an interesting analysis published in Warrior in January of 2023 [https://warriormaven.com/china/japan-china], specifically cites a number of key increasing threat areas related to both Russia and China. The text of the report cites China’s growing use of AI and networked warfare, provocations regarding the Senkaku islands, growing cooperation with Russia and strengthening civil-military fusion. “Chinese military trends, combined with insufficient transparency about China’s defense policies and military affairs, have become a matter of grave concern to the region including Japan and the international community, and these trends have been intensifying in recent years, “ the report says, as quoted in the Warrior report. China’s use of AI is referred to in the Japanese report as “intelligentized warfare,” meaning weapons systems, surveillance assets and data processing speeds and capabilities are all being massively improved. China’s pursuit of “intelligentized warfare” is identified in the Japanese report and also cited often in Pentagon reports on the growing China threat. The concept is, in large measure, to replicate or copy multi-domain, joint-service seamless networking and data sharing across the force. This effort appears quite similar to the Pentagon’s now implementing Joint All Domain Command and Control effort (JADC2) The 2023 Warrior analysis describes “Intelligentized warfare” as something which can impact a wide sphere of weapons systems and technology programs, particularly in China where there is not a civilian-military divide in any respect when it comes to budgets and the exchange of technology. For instance, satellite data can be processed and transmitted more quickly, warships, rockets and even nuclear weapons can receive and organize upgraded targeting information potentially enabling weapons to change course in flight. It may not be entirely clear just how far along the PLA is with these efforts, yet the clear Chinese intent is documented extensively in both US and Japanese defense publications. Should China be evolved in this capacity, it would place the PLA on closer footing with the US military regarding multi-domain target-data sharing, joint operations and sensor-to-shooter time improvements across a combat domain. Japan & F-35B Given this threat scenario, it makes sense that the Japanese JMSDF would be rapidly acquiring F-35Bs, as they operate with a secure, high-speed data-link called Multi-Function Advanced Data Link (MADL) able to network across all countries operating F-35s. This enables a multi-national, large-scale, semi-circle like formation of F-35s involving the US Navy, South Korea and even Australia and Singapore further south. The additional bases being added in the Philippines might also provide an opportunity for the US and its allies to add F-35s there and “fill-in” a gap in the semi-circle between Japan and Australia and Singapore. Kris Osborn [https://warriormaven.com/author/krisosborn] is the Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
