Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Another helicopter carrier, the lead-in-class Izumo, is also being modified to carry F-35 jets. The ship previously hosted two US Marine Corps F-35Bs in October 2021 for flight operations. Once both vessels have been fully certified with the jets, Japan will have a naval capability it hasn’t had since World War II.
The Kaga looks similar to the US Navy’s big-deck amphibious assault ships, which the US has previously explored using as so-called “lightning carriers,” smaller, lighter warships with flight decks that’re designed for F-35Bs.
One of the more recent examples of this concept is USS Bataan, an assault ship that recently entered maintenance to undergo modifications to carry F-35s after departing from combat against the Houthis in the Red Sea.
UK Ministry of Defense photo
For Japan, the capability to carry its own F-35Bs — or the US’ — on its flattops could be useful amid tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly from a continually aggressive China.
The US and Japan are increasingly engaging in close military cooperation directly related to deterring China’s hostile actions in the East and South China Seas.
There have been conversations about potential Japanese involvement in the trilateral Australia, UK, and US partnership known as AUKUS. The US also regularly conducts joint exercises with Japanese forces and has worked with Japan on defense technology, such as missile defense interceptors.