Japan MSDF destroyer Kaga partially modified for F-35B stealth fighter jets | NHK

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s largest vessel has been partially modified to operate F-35B stealth fighter jets.

The upgraded flight deck of the destroyer Kaga was shown to the media on Monday at the MSDF base in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. The first stage of the modification work was completed last month.

The vessel’s trapezoidal deck has been changed to a rectangular shape so that fighter jets can safely take off. The flight deck has been coated with heat-resistant material to withstand the exhaust heat generated by fighter jets.

Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to carry out additional modifications, including changing an interior section. The work is expected to be completed in several years.

The Kaga’s commander, MSDF Captain Kokubu Ichiro, noted that the vessel plays a key role in the fleet. He said the modification will improve the Kaga’s flexibility with F-35B interoperability.

The Defense Ministry has conducted landing and takeoff tests with the F-35B on the Izumo, the same class of destroyer, after a heat-resistant coating was applied to its flight deck. A second refurbishment of the Izumo is slated to begin by the end of the current fiscal year, and is expected to be completed in about two years.

The Japanese government says F-35B fighter jets will not be deployed full-time on the Izumo and the Kaga, so they will not be considered attack aircraft carriers, which are banned under Japan’s Constitution.