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.
Japan is just a shit , and a shit can not be trusted
40 airplanes, it’s not a big deal ! A real imperialism needs thousand of those.. What can you do with 40 ?? Japan has not the capacity to rule the so-called chinese sea.. China is now building one aircraft carrier every year. With 100 airplanes on them.
Who dictate what government should be in power in the US it’s time you stop saying dictors are a bad thing
Quinoy Pantilagan i see you prefer US imperialism to close and even milatery ties with China. Don’t forget who brought opium and damaging social lifestyles to Asia. You all should stand as one like Europe.I stand to be corrected.
Good move to counter China! lol
You’re from Klang eh.. like Klang Thailand? Your name seem to indicate that direction… Anyway… If that is the case, that would make sense that you would think so… As Japan never massacred Thailand… As you two countries were buddies… As for the rest of Asia…I think the people have different memories or stories
Only an idiot would believe that that was a helicopter carrier.
Japan is only being forced to rearm in the face of a new imperialistic power- China. Japan had it pretty good since the end of WW2 hiding behind the US military umbrella with only 1% of GDP spent on the military, why would they change that unless they think there is a greater threat? Only now are they forced to increase it due to the unreasonable demands of her giant neighbor which is affecting other nations as well.
If Japan’s neighbors are intentionally in the verge of developing high capability weapons, one day,Japan will develop such capability, which may invite war in the region. It depends on bahviors of North Korea and China. Thus, the situaiton is not so good.
We can not blame the Japanese, they behave this way because of the provocation by North Korean – Kim & his advisers.
In a civilian or service men point of view it may seem wrong, but in the mind of a genius tactician like Mc Arthur we just cant see what they invision.
Ekhlas Sayeed not in a million years my friend…China is no friend to Japan and most South East Asian countries with China’s overly aggressive territorial tendencies. The nine dashline and the Senkakus.
China had step in WW2 japan shoes..Today Japan do not have colonia mind.However China had agressively expanding its wings all.over the world witg their soft colonial approach
Those old and rotten mentality of Japanese parliament way back on the war era is inapplicable at the present time.
chinese arrogance and greed is pushing japan to arm itself.. not directed to America but to China who wanted to grab everything around it,, how do explain the building of atrtifical islands at the soutrh China sea..looking at the map and chinas proximity to the area in comparison to vietnam and the Philippines.. China should have no business in the area..
Japan can be trusted than China.
I dont this kind of reverse psychology is going to work either on Japan or the US!
Ajit Nair
typical response from a brain dead zombie with no intelligence.
????????????
Siddhartha Thorat agree….thats why there re many chinese living abroad becoz they cant take anymore their government
Sorry Joe you are Way off