The fighter with a shortened takeoff and vertical landing of the F-35B was tested by taking off and landing on the Japanese promising aircraft carrier Izumo, which is being converted from a helicopter carrier. As reported by The Drive, a combat aircraft took off and boarded a Japanese ship for the first time since the end of World War II.
Until recently, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces did not have full-fledged aircraft carriers. But the fleet consisted of four helicopter carriers: two types of "Izumo", with a displacement of 27 thousand tons, and two types of "Hyuga", with a displacement of 19 thousand tons.
In order to strengthen the defensive capabilities in the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese authorities decided in 2018 to convert one of the helicopter carriers into an aircraft carrier. Their choice fell on the Izumo helicopter carrier. The modification of the ship includes two stages. At the first one, which ended this summer, the IZUMO deck was marked with the markings necessary for the F-35B takeoff, as well as a heat-resistant coating. The next stage, which also involves changing the shape of the ship's nose, is scheduled for 2024. The second helicopter carrier of the IZUMO type, called KAGA, is also being upgraded to base aircraft with a shortened takeoff and vertical landing.
The F-35B first boarded the Izumo and took off from the ship on August 3. These were the first take-off and landing of a combat aircraft from a Japanese ship since the end of World War II.
The Japanese authorities believe that China, which is actively building up its aircraft carrier fleet, poses a threat to the territorial integrity of the country. Therefore, they are developing several types of weapons, including the anti-ship hypersonic glider, which we wrote about earlier. It is intended, first of all, to defeat aircraft carriers.
Vasilisa Chernyavtseva
