Japanese defense planners apparently believe that it pays to think ahead.
The Asahi Shimbun reported on Friday that Japan’s helicopter “destroyer” Izumo had been designed to be an aircraft carrier all along. The newspaper says former Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) executives have confirmed that the warship’s original blueprints called for it to be turned into an aircraft carrier.
“It is only reasonable to design (the Izumo) with the prospect of possible changes of the circumstances in the decades ahead,” a former MSDF executive told Asahi. “We viewed that whether the Izumo should be actually refitted could be decided by the government.”
The 248 meter (814 foot) Izumo is technically classified as a “destroyer” to circumvent current constitutional curbs against building “offensive” military weapons. But it is in most respects a de facto carrier.
Reports say Japan’s military is considering deploying the US F-35B, the maritime vertical takeoff version of the F-35 stealth fighter, aboard the Izumo, which was launched in 2015. The Izumo is the first ship in a class of such Japanese carriers.
Japan’s Defense Ministry had previously denied plans to refit the Izumo as an aircraft carrier.
“The former executive said a consensus was reached privately among the MSDF that the Izumo should be considered for conversion into an aircraft carrier,” Asahi said in its report. “But the MSDF couldn’t explain the need publicly due to the government’s view that aircraft carriers capable of launching large-scale attacks are equivalent to the military capability prohibited by the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.”
Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun reported last week that the government may buy up to 40 F-35B fighters from the US that can operate from helicopter carriers, island bases and commercial airports.
Please can you explain it?
Japan should build up real close tie with China for its own indemnity. Japan should also make an military pact with China and its close neighbors which will be act as a safeguard against everything.
Jn Githinji BTW it’s not a wallop. It’s genocide.
Jn Githinji Please read Iris Chang’s "The Rape of Nanking" and you’ll understand why the Chinese have difficulty forgiving the Japanese for their atrocities in China. Even here in South East Asia there are plenty of atrocities done by the IJA. You seriously need to read on WW2 and the atrocities commited by Japanese not just to the countries they invaded but even to their own people at Okinawa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rape_of_Nanking_(book)
Ken Tagaki you need to read more on WW2. Japan had the most powerful fleet in the Pacific in the form of the Kido Butai. The US can ill afford to loose any of it’s ships even old ones. The US only had two operational carriers in the Pacific namely Lexington and Enterprise who were busy supplying aircraft to Midway and Wake respectively. Saratoga was fitting planes in San Diego. Yorktown, Wasp and Hornet were still in the Atlantic. Kido Butai has 6 fleet carriers with 300 planes in total. The IJN had the advantage and Pearl Harbour crippled the US capability to respond anwhere in the Pacific during the early years of WW2. The Battle of Guadalcanal is proof of how sorely needed ships were for the US Navy even though Japan had already lost 4 carriers at Midway yet it was still a powerful force. So NO, the US would be stupid to allow it’s precious ships to be attacked at Pearl Harbour and put them at a severe disadvantage. Had Nagumo not made the silly mistake of not sending the 3rd wave to destroy fuel storage and dry docks at Pearl Harbour the US Navy would even take a longer time to recover.
If anyone hates anyone somebody here, it’s the Chinese who hate the Japanese. China still smarts from the walloping they used to get from the Emperor, all the way until Japan was nuked into surrender by the US. Frankly, had Japan restricted their WW2 excursion to the East, Asia would probably be a different story today.
These chinese fellows believe in expansion by eating up their neighboring countries..and giving name of reunification in 21st century..power comes with responsibility but these have lost brain with power.. they claim whole world as one china whether Tibbet Taiwan Spratly Philippines Brunei Malaysia Comobodia all under their Dragon flag. Concept of democracy is totally out of their communist mind.
The only real threat is a an ascending Chinese power that pretends to be Communist and peaceful while aggressively laying the ground work to be the ultimate Imperialistic power…
Tim Rivers , FO.
Japanese are thinks what will going to hapen in 100 years ahaed other nations but America thinks 101 years ahead of Japanese, that why now America having a good chances to sell 40 of F35 stelt fighter for Japan.
Ken Tagaki At the cost of thousands of american lives and properly. How stupid can you get. Those poos soldiers lives were erased in a short tie. God help them
Japan is a democracy China is a dictatorship. Japan is a friend China is a threat. Nuff said.
Japanese imperialism may be good for the rest of Asia….now we have two imperialist Asian powers to fight it out and leave the rest of us in peace….that should warm the American heart too.
Reunification? More like invasion
Tommy Curlee – actually it’s now well-established that both the White House and the top brass at the Pentagon had been briefed on the plan to attack Pearl Harbor.
Ken Tagaki The USA was concerned about the possibility of an attack but no one expected it to be Hawaii.
Because japan is as world power with a economy that rivals the USA. They have the money to pay the United nations to stay out of their business.
The USA knew the Japanese were building a duel purpose ship. It’s why the USA is selling them the F35 B.
คงศักดิ์ วงศ์ชูศรี bullshit. America already knew japanese fleet going to attack pearl harbor but they didnt do anything because they need a reason to enter ww2
Asia time is japanist newspaper.