Revival of Aircraft Carrier Era: Japan Receives its First F-35B Fighter Jets

Japan has received its first F-35B vertical take-off fighter jets, which will be deployed on board the latest Izumo and Kaga helicopter carriers.

The arrival of the new aircraft was announced by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force press service.

On Thursday, August 7, the first three low-profile F-35B aircraft arrived at Nyutabaru Air Base in Miyazaki Prefecture. The fourth aircraft from the pilot batch remained in the United States for unknown reasons and is expected to arrive later.

The country’s Ministry of Defense also said that four more F-35Bs would be delivered to Nyutabaru by the end of March 2026.

Although the F-35B will be part of the air force, they will be used as naval aircraft on the Izumo and Kaga ships, which are classified as helicopter destroyers under local classification. With the arrival of the fighters, they will become full-fledged light aircraft carriers, but will not be called such due to political disputes over the constitutional rejection of the creation of ‘offensive capabilities.’

Izumo and Kaga were originally designed with excessive requirements so that they could accommodate vertical take-off and landing aircraft. This can be seen in the size of the ship’s hangars, elevators, and decks, which were built with a ‘reserve for the future,’ although no such intentions were ever stated explicitly.

In 2021, Izumo confirmed its ability to accommodate aircraft by successfully completing landing tests with an F-35B belonging to the US Marine Corps.

Nevertheless, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has been carrying out the necessary retrofitting of both ships since 2021 and 2023. In particular, this involves strengthening the deck, applying a heat-resistant coating that can withstand the heat generated by the aircraft’s lift turbine, modernizing navigation systems, and redesigning the layout to accommodate refueling stations and other aviation equipment on board.

From October to November 7, 2024, the Japanese Navy conducted integration tests of the Kaga helicopter carrier with F-35B fighters, performing about 50 landings and takeoffs. Tests have been conducted on their placement in the ship’s hangar, the possibility of carrying out repair work, paired landings, and paired placement on the ship’s deck.

Night landing tests, ship-aircraft interaction checks, airspace control, escorting, and coordination of aircraft in the airspace around the helicopter carrier were also important.

In order to ensure all-weather operation of aircraft from the ship, a single JPALS precision landing system was installed on the helicopter carrier as part of the modernization.

It is worth recalling that another historic event for Japan has recently come to light: for the first time in its modern history, the country will build a new warship for a foreign customer, something that has not happened in the 80 years since the end of World War II.