By NAOKI MATSUYAMA/ Staff Writer
October 6, 2021 at 19:03 JST
U.S. F-35B fighter jets took off from and landed on the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s destroyer Izumo in a test off the Shikoku region on Oct. 3, the Defense Ministry said Oct. 5.
The ministry plans to convert the helicopter-carrying destroyer into an aircraft carrier, and the test was designed to check the heat-resistance of the renovated deck.
The F-35B is a stealth fighter capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings. The ministry plans to deploy the aircraft to Air Self-Defense Force’s Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture.
Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi revealed the test at an Oct. 5 news conference after the Cabinet meeting.
It was the first time for F-35Bs to use an MSDF naval vessel for takeoffs and landings.
The F-35Bs used in the test belong to the U.S. Marine Corps.
“This will improve interoperability between Japan and the United States, leading to strengthened deterrence and responding abilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance,” Kishi said.
He suggested there eventually could be cooperation in operations between the Izumo and U.S. fighter jets.
At the end of 2018, the defense program outline and midterm defense program included plans to convert Izumo-type destroyers into virtual aircraft carriers to strengthen air defense on Japan’s Pacific side, where there are fewer airfields.
The first renovation to improve the heat-resistance of the Izumo deck was completed at the end of June.
The Izumo will undergo the second renovation process after the end of fiscal 2024, while the same-type destroyer Kaga will receive new changes after the end of fiscal 2026.
After these second renovations, they will both become aircraft carriers, according to the plans.
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A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B makes a vertical landing on the destroyer Izumo off the Shikoku region on Oct. 3. (Provided by the Defense Ministry)
