Japan’s plan to retrofit its 27,000-ton Izumo–class helicopter destroyers into aircraft carriers has Beijing worried. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the move could in effect change the warships’ use from self-defense to military expansion, rather than a simple boost to their combat capabilities.
The ministry also warned that if Tokyo was bent on military buildup, it could risk putting the recent thaw in relations between the two nations back on ice.
“Making an aggressive move like this may drive the country to repeat its militaristic history,” the nationalist Global Times also warned in its report. Ties between China and Japan had been restored after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Beijing in October.
The 248-meter Izumo–class helicopter destroyers are now the largest surface combatants of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force since World War II, bearing a strong resemblance to conventional aircraft carriers.
Its lead ship was launched at Yokohama in 2013 with stated key missions including anti-submarine warfare and border-area surveillance as well as the swift deployment of troops and materials for disaster relief.
Two of the vessels – the Izumo and Kaga – have already been in service with two under construction and two planned.
Destroyers of this class can carry a crew of 970 and a maximum of 28 helicopters with armaments including the Raytheon-made Phalanx close-in weapons system against anti-ship missiles and helicopters.
Japan will write the plan into its latest National Defense Program Guidelines at the end of the year, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya announced at a press conference on Tuesday. The newly installed defense chief also said the retrofitted carriers would carry US-made F-35B stealth fighter jets capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings.
Japan will order 100 more F-35 fighter jets, including both the F-35A and the F-35B, from Lockheed Martin.
Under the war-renouncing Article 9 of its pacifist constitution, Japan cannot possess attack aircraft carriers, as it is only allowed to use force for self-defense.
Japanese military sources confirmed that the possibility of operating fixed-wing aircraft was incorporated into the design of the ships from the earliest stages of the Izumo program. The aircraft elevators and the deck paint were designed to handle aircraft like the F-35B, and it would be possible to add a ski-jump to the flight deck for the fighters’ operations.
Joshua Rene Matamorosa. What is your beef? Why don’t you mind your own business? So you speak for Japan? Japan is just the first barbaric beheaded and bayonette thrusting murderers of children and women and wounded soldiers. And what are you? Just a poor have nothing philipino. Go do something useful for your country. You love Japan? Go to Japan and fibs how they think of you.
Go and find someone you can trust. Time waster.
Go and find someone you can trust. Time waster.
This place looks and smells like what I imagine a cess pit is like. And you a bunch of hatred infested racists with nothing to do. What kind of idiots would read what yashad writes. Or these phillipinos who have nothing to do and who send their daughters to work in Qatar and Saudi but write like they were muscle bulging masters when you are fat and ugly. I have blocked yashad. The rest of you should grow up. Anyone thinking Japan won any war must be demented. They invaded Korea and China when they were weak and almost destroyed by opium and invasions by multiple countries. You love Japan? Good. Go abd and tell the Japanese and see how they treat you. Don’t think I’m staying here. I despise you all.
This place looks and smells like what I imagine a cess pit is like. And you a bunch of hatred infested racists with nothing to do. What kind of idiots would read what yashad writes. Or these phillipinos who have nothing to do and who send their daughters to work in Qatar and Saudi but write like they were muscle bulging masters when you are fat and ugly. I have blocked yashad. The rest of you should grow up. Anyone thinking Japan won any war must be demented. They invaded Korea and China when they were weak and almost destroyed by opium and invasions by multiple countries. You love Japan? Good. Go abd and tell the Japanese and see how they treat you. Don’t think I’m staying here. I despise you all.
EFF China. They are trying to expand at the expense of their neighbors then whine when there is push back ? EFF those Commie POSs
EFF China. They are trying to expand at the expense of their neighbors then whine when there is push back ? EFF those Commie POSs
Bruce Kwong Quit your yapping. I know that your a Chinese and your people are afraid just because some country is challenging your "sovereign right" of the seas. You have the advantage on carrier building but cannot accept the fact that Japan needs to be rearmed because of your selfish interests. Looking back at history Japan really defends their country to the death. And if this case happens in a war AGAINST China. I would do the same thing.
Bruce Kwong Quit your yapping. I know that your a Chinese and your people are afraid just because some country is challenging your "sovereign right" of the seas. You have the advantage on carrier building but cannot accept the fact that Japan needs to be rearmed because of your selfish interests. Looking back at history Japan really defends their country to the death. And if this case happens in a war AGAINST China. I would do the same thing.
And a small weapon !
And a small weapon !
Bruce Kwong And you think this is anot laycist comment ?
Bruce Kwong And you think this is anot laycist comment ?
Jane Du While you make the rest of us feel bbc
Jane Du While you make the rest of us feel bbc
Ra Gerry While Mao murdered 70m Chinese…. so the communists win !
Ra Gerry While Mao murdered 70m Chinese…. so the communists win !
Wait til Japan busts out their Gundams. Haha
Wait til Japan busts out their Gundams. Haha
Flora de los Sinensis
Phils won’t be buy JF17s by Phils as it’s destined for delivery to the scrap heap for smelting to garbage quality steel per Trump. US got problems with ur structural steel as they all came from your smelted J-15s which keep on crashing and burning. They even termed it the WIDOW MAKER.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1995729/fatal-crash-chinese-j-15-carrier-jet-puts-question-mark
https://taskandpurpose.com/china-j-15-fighter-jets/