Latest news with #Izumo
Japan Forward
20-05-2025
- General
- Japan Forward
JMSDF Strengthens Foothold in Nansei Islands as Taiwan Crisis Looms
Port calls by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) vessels at Ishigaki Port in Okinawa Prefecture have risen sharply in recent years. By April 2025, a range of ships — including training support vessels, escort ships, minesweepers, and mother ships for underwater disposal teams — had already made stops at the port. In 2024, the JMSDF's largest ship, the Izumo , anchored off the coast of Ishigaki Island. The United States Navy has likewise maintained a steady presence, dispatching vessels roughly once a year. With tensions over a potential Taiwan contingency on the rise, Ishigaki Port has effectively become a forward operating base for both Japanese and American naval forces. Their presence serves as a tangible demonstration of strengthened deterrence. While the Japanese government refrains from making overt declarations, it continues to quietly enhance the Self-Defense Forces' readiness. These efforts are aimed at strengthening deterrence in anticipation of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. Since fiscal 2024, Ishigaki Port has been designated a Specified Use Port. This status creates a framework that facilitates smoother berthing and logistical operations for both the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). Soon after the designation, in late August 2024, the Izumo sailed to waters near Okinawa following joint exercises with European naval vessels and anchored offshore from Ishigaki Island. The ship was opened for public viewing by members of the local defense association and selected citizens. A Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel (foreground) sails alongside a China Coast Guard ship. (Photo courtesy of the Japan Coast Guard) In February 2025, as the fiscal year drew to a close, the US Navy's amphibious transport dock USS San Diego made a port call at Ishigaki. That, too, was opened to the media. The year before, a US Aegis destroyer made a similar visit. Meanwhile, China has stepped up its military activity in the region. It has been staging large-scale exercises around Taiwan and Okinawa that simulate a maritime blockade of Taiwan. These drills involve a range of assets, including multiple warships, drones, and even aircraft carriers. Beijing has taken a particularly hostile stance toward Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, who assumed office in January 2024. Ishigaki City plans to launch a regular ferry route to Taiwan by September 2025. While Ishigaki Port already serves as the home base for the Japan Coast Guard's dedicated Senkaku patrol unit, it is set to play an even more critical role in safeguarding maritime routes to Taiwan. In the event of a Taiwan contingency, commercial navigation in the surrounding waters would likely face significant disruption. Rising concerns include the possibility of China deploying naval mines to enforce a blockade. The JMSDF minesweeper Kuroshima , which called at Ishigaki in May, is specifically tasked with mine-clearing operations. Another vessel, the mother ship for underwater disposal teams, departed the port on April 29 and serves as a mobile base for specialized underwater personnel. Both ships are based in Okinawa's main island and visited Ishigaki at roughly the same time in 2024. The presence of the JMSDF is becoming increasingly prominent alongside that of the Coast Guard. In an interview, Hiroaki Yonemori, Chairman of the Yaeyama Defense Association, spoke about ongoing efforts to attract more JMSDF vessels to the islands. Anticipating further increases in port calls, he stressed the need for robust wharf infrastructure to accommodate the growing traffic. (Read the article in Japanese .) Author: The Sankei Shimbun
Newsweek
15-05-2025
- Newsweek
US Ally Receives F-35 Boost for Future China Fight
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The first fighter jet intended for deployment aboard Japanese aircraft carriers has reportedly completed its maiden flight, as the United States ally strengthens its defenses against China. Lockheed Martin, the American defense contractor that manufactures the stealthy F-35B jets, told Newsweek that it is focused on supporting the "successful delivery" of the jets to Japan. Newsweek has emailed both the Japanese and Chinese defense ministries for comment. Why It Matters Under a U.S. containment strategy, Japan, along with Taiwan and the Philippines, forms part of the First Island Chain aimed at restricting China's access to the Pacific Ocean, where the Chinese military has been actively operating in the airspace and waters surrounding Japan. The Japanese navy is converting the Izumo-class helicopter carriers, JS Izumo and JS Kaga, into the country's first aircraft carriers since World War II. Their intended jets, the F-35B, are capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings from ships without full-length runways. The modification of the two warships and the introduction of the F-35B aircraft are part of Japan's efforts to bolster the defense of its southwestern islands, which are close to China and have limited air bases capable of supporting conventional fighter jet takeoffs and landings. What To Know Tori Mae Fontana, an aviation enthusiast based in Texas, wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the first Japanese F-35B jet was spotted flying out of Air Force Plant 4 in Fort Worth—where Lockheed Martin produces all the three variants of the F-35—on Monday. I think I just caught my first Japanese (JASDF) F-35B (BX-1) out of Lockheed Martin Air Force Plant 4 (KNFW). Cool to see this up close. Didn't expect that today. — Tori Mae Fontana (@LensOfMae) May 13, 2025 The test flight of the aircraft, which bears the Japanese roundel on its wing, lasted an hour, according to the specialist outlet The Aviationist. The first group of Japanese F-35B jets is expected to be delivered in Japan's Fiscal Year 2025, which begins on April 1, Tokyo said. "Lockheed Martin is committed to delivering on our promises to our customers," a company spokesperson told Newsweek, adding that the Japan Air Self-Defense Force has a program of record for a total of 147 F-35 aircraft—comprising 105 A models and up to 42 B models. Unlike the B model, the F-35A is designed to operate from conventional runways. The third variant in the F-35 family, the C model, is capable of operating from aircraft carriers. The Japanese air force has deployed the A model, stationing the fleet at two bases in the country. The F-35B jets are scheduled to be deployed aboard the Izumo and the Kaga in 2027 and 2028, respectively, according to a Lockheed Martin fact sheet. The Izumo began the second stage of modification in December 2024, while the Kaga is set to begin its upgrades next year. An F-35B fighter jet executes a vertical landing aboard the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on November 2, 2024. An F-35B fighter jet executes a vertical landing aboard the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on November 2, 2024. U.S. Department of Defense Meanwhile, U.S. forces stationed in Japan operate all variants of the F-35 aircraft. The Air Force has sent its F-35A jets to Kadena Air Base, while the F-35B and F-35C jets, operated by the Marine Corps and the Navy, respectively, are deployed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. What People Are Saying Lockheed Martin said: "The F-35 Lightning II is designed and built to counter the most advanced threats—making it a perfect fit for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF)." The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force said: "Japan is working to improve its capabilities in the maritime and air domains by steadily upgrading the [Izumo-class helicopter carriers] in order to acquire the ability to operate [short takeoff and vertical landing] aircraft." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether Japan will place additional orders for the F-35A or F-35B aircraft from the U.S., as Washington continues to urge its allies to boost defense spending.
Japan Times
17-02-2025
- Japan Times
Japan's SDF destroyers are being converted into aircraft carriers
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. The Izumo is scheduled to undergo its second upgrade this year, while the Air Self-Defense Force will begin F-35B training. Actual deployment is not expected to start in the near future, however.
Al Arabiya
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
A flurry of international naval drills around the Philippines prompts complaints from Beijing
A flurry of naval drills surrounding the Philippines involving the US and its partners has prompted complaints from Beijing, which claims the entire South China Sea and accuses Manila of colluding with others to destabilize the region. The US 7th Fleet based in Japan said forces from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the US conducted a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone on Wednesday. 'Such drills strengthen the interoperability of our defense/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures,' the fleet said in a news release. The maneuvers were taking place within the Philippines' zone, but the fleet gave no details on the exact location. More exercises involving the US, Japan, and France were planned for later this week in the Philippines Sea, which China does not claim. 'That exercise is designed to advance coordination and cooperation between French, Japanese, and US maritime forces while simultaneously demonstrating capabilities in multi-domain operations,' the fleet said. The US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, French carrier Charles de Gaulle, and Japan's Izumo -class multi-functional destroyer Kaga will take part in the drill starting Saturday, along with their escorts and air wings, the fleet said. 'France's participation is especially significant because of the distance from its home base 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) away in Toulouse,' commander of the Carrier Strike Group Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Tian Junli, spokesperson for China's Southern Theater Command, accused the Philippines of colluding with outside countries to organize 'so-called joint patrols,' which he said destabilize the region, Chinese state media said on Thursday. Tian said the Philippines' actions were an attempt to endorse its illegal claims in the South China Sea and undermine China's maritime rights and interests. He specifically pointed to US–Philippines joint patrols on Tuesday and said China had carried out its own patrols in the region on Wednesday. China is one of six regional powers that claims the strategic South China Sea in part or in whole, ignoring a ruling by a UN-backed court that tossed out most of its claims and building human-made islands equipped with airstrips and other infrastructure of military use. China's coast guard and maritime militia frequently clash with ships from fellow claimants Vietnam and the Philippines. Though it claims not to disrupt shipping or overflights in the sea, through which an estimated five trillion dollars in global trade transits each year, China is adamantly opposed to foreign military shipping in the area. The waterway is also believed to be sitting atop vast undersea deposits of oil and gas, and while China says it wants to come to a negotiated agreement about the use of the sea, such efforts have made little progress. China says the US and other countries that don't border on the sea should have no say in affairs concerning it, although the US – which takes no formal stand on sovereignty issues involving the sea – has maintained bases and alliances in the region long before China made its formal claim to sovereignty using the so-called 'eight dash line.' Beijing is especially angered over US freedom of navigation operations in which Navy ships sail close to Chinese-held maritime features to show Washington does not recognize China's sovereignty claims.
