Japan's Redesigned F-35B Carrier Departs the Dock with a New Bow

Antipolo Magazine 2020

The highly modified bow of the freshly launched JS Kaga (DDH-184) "helicopter-carrying destroyer" of the Izumo class is visible in new photographs. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is converting Kaga into a carrier for the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

 

Around April 19, pictures of the ship leaving its pier in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, followed by multiple tugboats, started going viral online. According to Naval News, the first round of Kaga's upgrades, which were supposed to be finished in March, involved reshaping the ship's bow section and coating the deck with a heat-resistant material. By March 2024, the following round of improvements—which comprise rebalancing and structurally strengthening Kaga's hull—should be finished.

Overall, according to USNI News, work on converting Kaga into an F-35B carrier is anticipated to last until early 2027. JS Kaga was initially introduced in 2015 and put into service in 2017.

The ship's bow has undergone a significant modification, as seen in the photographs above as well as those from late 2022 and earlier in April of this year. Due to its optimization for the short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities F-35B, it seems to be substantially broader. In addition, the Phalanx 20mm close-in weapon system (CIWS) that was formerly visible to the front of the ship has also been taken out, probably to make room for F-35Bs to take off and provide the deck more room for flight operations. In earlier pictures, what appear to be white tent-like structures are also seen set up on the ship's deck; they would be related to other ongoing alterations being done.

Two phases make up the modification work for both ships. According to Naval News, the first-in-class JS Izumo finished its initial round of improvements in 2021. The ship, which was commissioned in 2015, has so far received modifications to the lighting and deck markings as well as a heat-resistant flight deck to handle the exhaust from the F-35B.

The second stage of upgrades, which is scheduled to start in March 2025, will involve Izumo being redesigned with the squared-off flight deck that Kaga presently has. Izumo's modifications are likewise expected to be finished by 2027. The Joint Precision Approach and Landing System, or JPALS, which is integrated into F-35B aircraft, will soon be delivered to Izumo, according to a recent announcement by Raytheon. JPALS provides guidance for F-35B aircraft in all weather and surface conditions. 

Tokyo has additionally decided to modify its Izumo class ships as a result of its long-term commitment to the F-35B. Lockheed Martin claims that the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, or JASDF, has a program of record for 147 F-35 aircraft, including up to 42 F-35B types and 105 Joint Strike Fighter F-35A models. The Izumo class ships will be outfitted with JASDF F-35Bs, of which Japan has not yet taken possession.

These and other adjustments to Japan's naval priorities, along with the country's recent pledge to raise defense spending, coincide with rising tensions over China's recently developing naval capabilities.

 

Japan has a special interest in defending the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, as The War Zone has previously said. The islands would probably prove to be vulnerable in the event of a conflict, and F-35Bs fired from ships of the Izumo class may help to protect them. In recent years, China's own carrier fleet has also expanded. The nation debuted its first Type 075 landing helicopter dock amphibious assault ship in 2019 and its Type 003 aircraft carrier in 2022.