【Military Subplane】Author: Sky Wolf
Recently, Japan's actions in the field of defense have continued to attract attention from the outside world. According to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, in early October, the second ship of the Izumo-class aircraft carrier, the Kaga (DDH-184), will go to the waters off San Diego, California, United States, to conduct a test of the F-35B Lightning II vertical take-off and landing fighter. The move marks the next step away from Japan having a dual-carrier battle group.
▲ After the refit, the Japan "Kaga" is most obviously the nose deck without a trapezoidal design
The Izumo-class ships are officially called "helicopter destroyers" by Japan, but in fact, since their commissioning, the two ships have been considered to have been reserved for future aircraft carrier transformation. The first ship, the Izumo, was commissioned in 2015, and the second ship, Kaga, was commissioned in 2017. With a displacement of up to 27,000 tons, they not only have an all-through flight deck, but are also equipped with typical aircraft carrier design elements such as hangars and elevators.
In 2018, the Japan government adopted a decision to officially convert the two "helicopter destroyers" into light aircraft carriers capable of carrying F-35B fighter jets. After a series of modifications, both the "Izumo" and the "Kaga" have the ability to take off and land the F-35B. The Kaga's trip to United States for the F-35B's on-board test represents another big step toward Japan's goal of having two substantial aircraft carriers.
▲ United States Marine Corps F-35B vertical take-off and landing fighter landing on the Kaga
The test of the F-35B carrier-based fighter of the "Kaga" is not only to test basic operations such as short take-off and vertical landing, but also to test the adaptability of various equipment on the aircraft carrier to the use of the F-35B. This series of tests will be completed with the assistance of the U.S. military, which once again highlights the deep cooperation of the U.S.-Japan military alliance.
As a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the F-35B has extremely strong air combat and ground attack capabilities, especially in short take-off and vertical landing, making it very suitable for deployment on light aircraft carriers. Japan plans to purchase 42 F-35B fighter jets, some of which will be delivered to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in the coming years for deployment on the Izumo and Kaga.
Once these fighters are put into actual combat use, Japan will officially have the basis of a dual-carrier battle group, which will significantly improve the ocean-going combat capability of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
▲ "Kaga" quasi-aircraft carrier formation
According to Japan's operational concept, once the aircraft carriers "Izumo" and "Kaga" complete their modification and deploy F-35B fighters, Japan will form two "Type 88" fleet groups with aircraft carriers as the core. Such a fleet will consist of one aircraft carrier, three "Aegis" air defense destroyers, and four multipurpose missile destroyers, and will have extremely strong sea and air supremacy capabilities.
Each Type 88 fleet group is capable of carrying 12 F-35B fighters, eight V-22 Osprey transport aircraft, and several anti-submarine and rescue helicopters, with a combat radius of more than 800 kilometers. The results of Japan's simulation show that such a fleet group can form a strong air and sea supremacy capability in naval operations, and can even be comparable to the aircraft carrier battle groups of some medium-sized countries, such as India's "Vikrant" and Russia's "Kuznetsov".
▲ The "Izumo"-class quasi-aircraft carrier is not without shortcomings
Although Japan's Izumo-class aircraft carriers have strong strike capabilities, they also face a serious shortcoming - the lack of carrier-based AWACS aircraft. At present, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has not deployed carrier-based fixed-wing AWACS aircraft, and even AWACS helicopters are not equipped. This means that Japan's aircraft carriers lack long-range early warning and reconnaissance capabilities in ocean-going operations, making them face great intelligence disadvantages in a complex sea and air combat environment.
Without the support of AWACS, the aircraft carrier group may not be able to respond in time to the enemy's long-range attack, thus exposing itself to the risk of missile attack. How to solve this problem remains a huge challenge for Japan in the sea.
▲ The "Kaga" sailing with the U.S. aircraft carrier formation
Japan's expansion in the military field in recent years is no longer hidden. Since the administration of Shinzo Abe, the Japan government has passed a number of legal amendments to gradually lift postwar restrictions on the Self-Defense Forces. Especially with the support of the United States, the expansion of Japan's military power has been greatly promoted. Refitting aircraft carriers, purchasing F-35Bs, and strengthening military cooperation with the US military are all important steps for Japan to rebuild its military strength.
Japan's aircraft carrier dream dates back to World War II, when the aircraft carrier formations of the old Japan Navy were an important force in the Pacific War. The name "Kaga" itself is symbolic, it is a tribute to the Japan aircraft carrier "Kaga" during World War II. This move to "resurrect" the old imperial navy undoubtedly has a strong historical symbolism, showing that Japan has not forgotten its former dream of becoming a military power.
▲F-35B fighter jet undergoing in-flight refueling
Japan's imminent possession of a two-carrier battle group has undoubtedly brought new variables to the security situation in East Asia. At present, China has two aircraft carriers in service, and the third, more advanced "Fujian" has also started intensive sea trials. At the same time, Korea is also planning to build light aircraft carriers. In the "East Asian Monster Room", the competition of aircraft carrier forces has become a reality.
Japan's ambitions are not limited to maintaining the security of its sea lines of communication, but it also hopes to further enhance its military influence in the Asia-Pacific region by strengthening its naval power. Although Japan's constitution stipulates that it can only have defense forces of a self-defense nature, it is clear that aircraft carriers with F-35B fighter jets have gone far beyond defense. In the future, if Japan continues to expand its aircraft carrier fleet and carrier-based aircraft forces, we need to maintain high vigilance and actively take countermeasures, and be ready to respond to possible challenges at any time.