Japan marks first landing of F-35B fighter on second Izumo-class ship

An F-35B operated by the USMC seen here landing on JS Kaga for the first time. (JMSDF)

Another Izumo-class helicopter carrier has become only the second Japanese naval vessel to embark a fixed-wing fighter aircraft on its flight deck since the Second World War.

This milestone was marked when a Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft operated by the US Marine Corps (USMC) landed on the second-of-class JS Kaga on 20 October while the ship was at sea.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) confirmed the milestone in a statement released via its official social media channels on 21 October.

In October 2021 the first-of-class JS Izumo became the first Japanese naval vessel to embark fixed-wing fighters since the Second World War, when two USMC F-35Bs carried out take-offs and landings from its flight deck.

The inaugural landing on Kaga wascarried out as part of a series of short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) tests by USMC-operated F-35Bs between 5 October and 18 November.

These tests are being carried out off the southern coast of California and they aim to familiarise more JMSDF personnel with F-35B operations.

Kaga is one of two Izumo-class helicopter carriers operated by the JMSDF. Izumo was commissioned in March 2015, while Kaga was inducted in March 2017.

Both vessels were conceived as helicopter carriers but have been built with weight and strength considerations that allow the ships to embark F-35Bs.

Japan began refitting Kaga for F-35B operations in March 2022 while Izumo underwent the modifications in 2021.