Jet aircraft trials begin on Japanese helicopter carrier

A US Navy F-35B Lightning II aircraft landed aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force's (JMSDF) Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga for the first time on Sunday, October 20, off the southern coast of California to begin developmental tests aboard the ship.

A test pilot flew a specially instrumented F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft and touched down on Kaga at around 15:15 local time on Sunday.

Sea trials will be carried out to validate the ship’s recent modifications to conduct fixed-wing aircraft operations. Changes to Kaga included painting its flight deck with heat-resistant material that tolerates the F-35B’s vectored-thrust engines, installing lights for nighttime operations, and reshaping the flight deck’s bow from a trapezoid to a rectangular shape.

The sea trials are scheduled to take approximately three weeks with a scheduled completion on November 18.

The JMSDF had earlier said that it will conduct developmental tests to collect the data necessary for the conduct of ship-based operation and STOVL flight operations of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force's own F-35B aircraft on Kaga and other converted Izumo-class ships.

Kaga's sister, class lead ship JS Izumo, is undergoing a similar refit to its bow and flight deck that is scheduled to be completed by early 2027. Japanese defence officials expect the conversion works will enhance the two ships' ability to provide air defence for deployed JMSDF vessels as well as vessels of other allied nations in the Indo-Pacific region.