By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
Off the coast of San Diego this week, Japan moved another step closer to deploying with US stealth fighters at sea.
A US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning made a vertical land on the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga for the first time. It was part of a test conducted by the Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet that is aimed at turning both the Kaga and the Izumo into aircraft carriers.
“This test is essential for strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities and is of utmost importance,” said Capt. Shusaku Takeuchi, the Kaga’s commanding officer. “This test does not merely enhance the capabilities of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. It also improves the interoperability between Japan and the US, strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance.”
The F-35B is the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) version of the fifth-generation fighter, capable of being used either on aircraft carriers or on land.
The Kaga was modified to be handle the plane. The bow was altered to reduce turbulence and the flight deck was lengthened. It also was strengthened so it wouldn’t be damaged by the heat of the F-35B’s engines during takeoffs and landings.
According to the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Task Force, Royal Navy Lt. Commander Nick Baker was at the controls when the plane landed on the Kaga Sunday.
US and Japanese personnel will determine whether there are any issues with the F-35 taking off from the Kaga. They’ll also figure out procedures for fueling, maintenance and storing the plane in its hangar.
The Japan Times noted that the Izumo conducted a similar test three years ago and said it was the first time a Japanese warship had operated with fixed-wing fighters since World War II.
Observers have told the Times that the modified Kaga has been compared to the US Navy’s Wasp-class and America-class amphibious assault ships. That doesn’t sit well with some critics, who say that modifying the ships violates Japan’s constitution, which allows for military force only for self-defense. The Japanese government rejects that argument.
Japan has bought 42 of the F-35Bs, and the first six are expected to be delivered next year.
The F-35B test is one more sign of how the US views the threat posed by China and how Washington believes Japan will play a crucial role in countering it. In July, the Pentagon announced it would “reconstitute” US Forces Japan into a joint air, ground and naval headquarters that will report to the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command based in Hawaii.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that would allow the US and Japan to work together more closely than before, and would advance what he called “collective deterrence.”
