Japan’s Modified Izumo Carrier Is Nearing Completion
Japan’s Modified Izumo Carrier Is Nearing Completion
The Japanese aircraft carrier—in function, if not in name—will soon be ready to carry F-35B Lightning II fighter jets.
The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) released the first images of its JS Izumo following modifications to the warship’s flight deck, which were made to accommodate operations with the F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. The vessel’s original trapezoidal design, narrowed at the front, offered a sleeker look but limited the flattop’s ability to operate with the fixed-wing aircraft.
The ongoing installation of a rectangular bow has changed the appearance of JS Izumo. More importantly, however, it has also increased the flight deck’s size, enabling safer, more efficient operations for the fifth-generation stealth fighters. The new layout reduces risks associated with the landing of the fixed-wing aircraft.
“The escort vessel Izumo has reached a milestone in the modification work to alter the bow shape related to its special refit, and took a commemorative photo with those involved,” the JMSDF announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week. “Preparations are steadily progressing toward completion.”
This second phase of work on JS Izumo began on November 1, 2024, when the warship entered the Japan Marine United (JMU) dry dock in Isogo, Yokohama. It followed the first phase, which was completed in June 2021 at the same facility. That work consisted of applying a heat-resistant deck coating to withstand the F-35 B’s exhaust during vertical takeoffs and landings, plus visual landing aids and a centerline/tramline along the flight deck. Clearly, the second phase was the more work-intensive modifications, but the current timeline calls for the full conversion to be completed by the end of Japan’s fiscal year 2027 (FY27) in March 2028, according to Naval News.
About the Izumo-Class “Destroyer”
- Year Introduced: 2015 (JS Izumo)
- Number Built: 2 (JS Izumo, JS Kaga)
- Length: 248 m (814 ft)
- Beam (Width): 38 m (125 ft)
- Displacement: ~27,000 tons (full load)
- Propulsion: COGAG (Combined Gas turbine and Gas turbine), 4 GE/IHI LM2500IEC gas turbines
- Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h, 34.5 mph)
- Armament: Phalanx CIWS, SeaRAM CIWS; planned for F-35B short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) fighters, capable of carrying ~14-28 aircraft, including helicopters
- Crew: ~520 (including flag staff)
Both of the JMSDF’s two Izumo-class multirole destroyers are undergoing modifications to operate the fixed-wing F-35B, with the warships becoming the first de facto aircraft carriers in service with the Japanese military since the end of World War II.
The JS Kaga also completed the bow modification to a rectangular configuration in April 2023 at the JUM Kure shipyard in Hiroshima Prefecture. The second phase—modifications to the deck and the application of heat-resistant coatings to better handle downward-pointed F-35B jet exhaust—is scheduled to begin later this year and be completed by the end of fiscal year 2028 (FY28) in March 2029.
The Izumo Carries Aircraft. Why Isn’t It an Aircraft Carrier?
The two warships will also receive a new designation once the work is complete. JS Izumo (DDH-183) and JS Kaga (DDH-184) will respectively receive the pennant numbers CVM-183 and CVM-184. DDH was the hull classification for “helicopter destroyer,” and last year the ministry added the classification “CVM.”
This is similar to the US Navy’s designation of “CV” for aircraft carriers, with the “V” derived from the French word voler, meaning “to fly.” The JMSDF has announced that CVM will stand for “Cruiser Voler Multipurpose,” rather than “multipurpose aircraft carrier” as one might assume.
This is entirely a case of semantics, with Tokyo looking to downplay the fact that its flattops are de facto aircraft carriers for political reasons.
Japan is nominally forbidden by Article 9 of its postwar constitution from entering an armed conflict. However, subsequent court decisions have clarified that the article allows for self-defense. This is why the Japanese navy is referred to as the “Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.”
But an aircraft carrier is by definition an offensive weapon, used to project power beyond a nation’s shores. If Japan were purely focused on self-defense, there would be no good reason to own an aircraft carrier—leading the JMSDF to deny that the vessels are aircraft carriers. In practice, of course, this is a fig leaf; Tokyo has mostly sidestepped Article 9, investing heavily in defense and partnering with regional allies like the United States and South Korea as China has built up its own naval forces.
The ministry also introduced the hull classification CG, for “Cruiser Guided-missile,” for the first time, which will apply to future JMSDF vessels equipped with the Aegis system that are expected to enter service later this decade. The US Navy’s guided-missile cruisers use the same designation.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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