Japan on December 18, 2018 announced Japan’s Izumo-class “helicopter destroyers”will become true aircraft carriers by hosting F-35B STOVL stealth jets. Japan hasn’t wielded true carriers since 1945.
By coincidence the Izumo class's second ship is JS Kaga. An actual World War Two Imperial Japanese Navy carrier was called IJN Kaga. IJN Kaga was sunk at the Battle of Midway.
Japan on December 18, 2018 announced that it would change its defense guidelines and buy:
- 105 more F-35As (in addition to the 42 F-35As it is already buying). So totalling 147 F-35As, and
- 40 F-35Bs (about 20 for training and 10 each to operate off JS Izumo and Kaga.
These around 190 F-35s for Japan will make Japan the second largest F-35 owner in the world after the US itself.
Japan said it would alter the flattop decks of Izumo and Kaga to handle weight, heat and blast when operating F-35Bs.
Japan's carrier decision is in the face of rising threats from China, Russia, and North Korea. Also its reacting against US President Trump tweets that Japan is not paying enough for Japan's own defences.
Japan had originally sought F-22 long-range, stealthy air superiority fighters to replace its aging F-4 Phantoms and F-15 Eagles. US refusal to export F-22s means Japan has had to settle for F-35s. Japan has made some gestures toward developing its own stealth jets (equivalent to F-22s). But the costs and difficulties of developing Japanese stealth jets have been too great for a serious project.
Japan’s extra F-35 buying strategy is also arms buying trade-diplomacy to increase the chances that the more powerful US formidable armed forces (in Japan, Okinawa, Guam and South Korea) will protect Japan.
Australia
This F-35B purchase by Japan may also influence a possible future F-35B purchase by Australia. This is noting Australia is buying 72 F-35As and has two Izumo sized flat top Canberra class LHDs already fitted with ski-jump bows for STOVL jets. See 5th paragraph down in the Design and capabilities subsection.
Pete