this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025
63 points (98.5% liked)

World News

43152 readers
3439 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The Maritime Self-Defense Force is upgrading its Izumo and Kaga destroyers into de facto aircraft carriers, equipping them to operate the F-35B stealth fighter, which features short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.

Performance tests conducted in October and November last year, with cooperation from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, confirmed that the upgraded Kaga can accommodate the F-35B without issue.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

When the Kaga was built, it was only designed to accommodate helicopters (as can be seen in your before picture) and maybe a couple of tilt-rotors.

It was an aircraft landing platform, but not an airplane launcher. Even a VTOL jet would have a bad day trying to land and take off on such a narrow and moving target.

Now with America’s blessing, it’s being retrofitted to allow for all type of aircraft and be a true carrier in the military sense.

It’s actually a little bit of history repeating. Some of Imperial Japan’s aircraft carriers were also retrofits of ships that weren’t originally meant to serve that purpose (including the IJN Kaga).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 weeks ago

Now with America’s blessing, it’s being retrofitted to allow for all type of aircraft

It's being retrofitted to allow for STOVL aircraft, not "all type of aircraft". They are not installing catapults, arresting gear, or the angled deck needed for CATOBAR operations.

and be a true carrier in the military sense.

True. It will definitely be a true carrier in the military sense. The F-35B is a very capable aircraft, and they will be able to operate a wide variety of helicopters and

Just to put it in perspective: It will be comparable to what the US navy calls an "Amphibious Assault Ship" (Wasp and America classes, carrying ~20 aircraft each) than its current "Carriers" (Nimitz and Ford classes, with ~90 aircraft each).

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Also, the original Kaga being an aircraft carrier was because the US was more-concerned about Japan having a ton of battleships that might be a threat to the US and negotiated battleship limits in the Washington Naval Treaty, so it was converted into an aircraft carrier...which turned out when World War II came around, to be a lot more potent than battleships were, so there was an even earlier reversal in position.