Could Japan Turn Its Helicopter Assault Ships Into Carriers for the F-35?

David Axe

Technology, Americas

Power projection returns to Tokyo.

Key point: It will take a lot of modifications to transform Tokyo's two helicopter carriers.

The British company that built the Royal Navy’s two new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers wants to help Japan modify some of its own ships into carriers.

The Japanese government in November 2018 announced that it plans to enhance its two Izumo-class helicopter carriers in order to support F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters.

The announcement followed years of speculation that began even before Izumo commissioned into service in 2015.

“Since we are equipped with such vessels, it is desirable that we will use them for various purposes,” Japanese defense minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters. “We would like to advance our research and studies on this.”

BAE Systems wants to do the work, Natasha Pheiffer, the company’s managing director in Asia, told Flight Global. “She feels that BAE is well placed to assist Tokyo with the integration of fixed-wing fighters aboard the two ships owing to its work on the U.K.’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, which will also operate the F-35B,” Flight Global noted.

Tokyo plans to order another 100 F-35s to supplement the 42 stealth fighters it originally ordered in 2011. The first batch of Japanese F-35s are all A-models that require conventional runways. The new batch presumably would include some vertically-landing F-35B models for shipboard use.

Transforming the two helicopter carriers into aircraft carriers won't be easy. The Izumo-class vessels are small for aviation ships. More vexingly, Japan hasn't operated fixed-wing aircraft from ships since World War II, and will need to train pilots, staff and maintainers for the unique challenges of carrier operations.

But other countries have succeeded in operating fixed-wing planes from small aviation ships. Most notably, Italy. Australians are debating whether to modify their own small aviation vessels to carry F-35s.

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