UK F-35Bs: First Landing on Japan’s Kaga
– Further Testing of STOVL Capabilities on the Kaga Aircraft Carrier
– Improved Interoperability Through Joint Japan-US-UK Operations
Summary from an article published in JANES:
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)
1. A British F-35B landed for the first time on the flight deck of the Izumo-class aircraft carrier.
2. The carrier’s short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities were further verified.
The Royal Navy conducted a trilateral exercise in the northern Philippine Sea on August 8 and August 11.
The nine-day multinational exercise involved naval forces from Japan, the UK, and the US.
The British F-35B is currently operating on the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
1. The Kaga is the second of two Izumo-class helicopter carriers.
2. The Izumo was the first ship to be commissioned in March 2015, while the Kaga was commissioned in March 2017.
The nine-day multinational exercise involved naval forces from Japan, the UK, and the US.
The British F-35B is currently operating on the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
1. The Kaga is the second of two Izumo-class helicopter carriers.
2. The Izumo was the first ship to be commissioned in March 2015, while the Kaga was commissioned in March 2017.
Izumo and Kaga: With China in mind, F35Bs to be deployed onboard.
Summary from an article published in the Chosun JoongAng Ilbo.
Izumo and Kaga put into service:
The aircraft carriers Izumo and Kaga have begun deploying the F35B stealth fighter.
With the deployment of the F35B, they will carry up to 10 to 12 F35Bs.
1. This is the first time in 80 years since World War II that Japan has become a de facto aircraft carrier-owning nation.
2. In response to China’s commissioning of its third aircraft carrier this year, Japan will deploy two aircraft carriers to deter China.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s latest F35B aircraft:
The decks of the Izumo and Kaga have been repainted with heat-resistant paint to accommodate fighter jets and takeoffs and landings.
The bows of the ships have been modified to transform them into aircraft carriers.
Western Pacific Naval Joint Exercises:
Japan deployed the Kaga in joint training with the British aircraft carrier Prince of Wales.
1. Takeoff and landing tests were successful, demonstrating full aircraft carrier capabilities.
2. Japan ultimately plans to deploy a total of 42 F35Bs in combat.
By August 12, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and others participated, and an F35B took off from a British aircraft carrier and landed on the Kaga.
China’s Aircraft Carrier Force:
1. The first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was deployed in 2012.
2. The successor, the Shandong, is currently in combat operation.
China plans to commission the aircraft carrier Fujian within the year, bringing its total operational fleet to three.
Commissioning the Fujian:
The Fujian is the second ship in the world to be equipped with an electromagnetic catapult, after a US aircraft carrier.
1. China will establish a permanent aircraft carrier combat posture in the Western Pacific.
2. It will deter the United States and its allies from afar.
China has planned to increase its fleet of fully operational aircraft carriers to six by 2030.
Japan’s aircraft carriers are fully operational:
1. If a Chinese aircraft carrier crosses the First or Second Island Chain, it will be subject to deterrence and surveillance from Japan and the United States.
2. Japan also plans to operate carrier-based F-35B aircraft and land-based F-35A aircraft.
https://www.chosunonline.com/site/data/html_dir/2025/08/12/2025081280033.html