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Japan Times
7 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Britain's Prince of Wales aircraft carrier makes Japan debut
Britain's Prince of Wales aircraft carrier made its Japan debut on Tuesday, arriving at the Yokosuka Naval Base just days after some of its embarked F-35B fighter aircraft touched down and took off from the deck of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Kaga carrier as part of 'cross-decking' training activities. The 280-meter warship, which is in the final leg of a monthslong Indo-Pacific deployment at the helm of a multinational carrier strike group, docked at the base in Kanagawa Prefecture alongside British destroyer Dauntless and Norwegian frigate Roald Amundsen. The move marks not only the second time that a British aircraft carrier has docked in Japan — after the HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021 — but also the latest in a series of incremental steps between Japan and European partners to deepen military ties amid concerns over Chinese assertiveness in the region. The cross-decking activities were part of a larger naval exercise held between Aug. 4-12 in the western Pacific that featured U.S., Spanish and Norwegian warships, including four aircraft carriers. They marked the first time that British short-takeoff-and-landing F-35Bs have landed on a Japanese carrier — a move designed to enhance interoperability, flexibility and operational capacity between the partner navies, especially as Japan just recently took delivery of its first three of a planned fleet of 42 F-35Bs, most of which will be deployed from Kaga and its sister ship, Izumo. Such level of interoperability could prove crucial In the case of a contingency as cross-decking would allow for the extension of flight operations beyond the range of a single carrier or platform as similar aircraft could be refueled or rearmed on different ships, including those from partner nations. The Prince of Wales and the two other warships are part of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group 25. The remaining members of the group proceeded to South Korea. Before the carrier's arrival in Japan, however, one of its F-35Bs suffered a malfunction that forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing on Sunday at Kagoshima Airport in southwestern Japan. The incident closely followed the forced landing of another F-35B at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in Kerala, India, in June. After Yokosuka, the Prince of Wales will head to Tokyo for six days from Aug. 28 while the Norwegian warship will be in the Japanese capital over Aug. 19-22 before returning to Yokosuka. All three ships are scheduled to leave Japan on Sept. 2. Tokyo has hailed the visit as a 'demonstration of Britain and Norway's commitment to contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, with a view to realizing a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific.' The Japan visit will mark the strike group's final leg during Operation Highmast — the name of this year's deployment — before the group reassembles and heads back to Europe. The route has already taken the warships from Portsmouth in England to the Mediterranean, across the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and through the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia to conduct exercises and port visits with partners such as the U.S., India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Last month, elements of the strike group took part in this year's iteration of the multinational Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia and Papua New Guinea, highlighting that the eight-month deployment was not only aimed at showing presence and making port calls. An image published Saturday on X shows British F-35B aircraft landing for the first time on Japan's JS Kaga carrier. | BRITISH ROYAL NAVY Just like with the Queen Elizabeth carrier-led deployment four years ago, this year's mission has tested the Royal Navy's logistical capabilities as well as its ability to operate alongside regional partners. This is key as the navy seeks to understand how to better operate and exchange capabilities with non-NATO partners while discussing how best to handle potential regional contingencies ranging from disaster-relief operations and gray-zone activities to countering hostile cyberactivities and engaging in high-end warfighting. But the British deployments are also meant to send a dual strategic message — one of deterrence to potential adversaries and another of reassurance to allies and partners that Britain remains focused on maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific. This comes after the U.K. Ambassador to Tokyo told The Japan Times last year that London will remain laser-focused on the Indo-Pacific as the region remains critical for British economic and security interests. Of particular importance are ties with Japan, which views Britain as its closest European defense and security partner. In recent years, the scope and frequency of joint military activities with the Self-Defense Forces has grown, including port calls and exercises such as the Vigilant Isles drills. Many of the military maneuvers are now being facilitated by a visiting-forces pact that entered into force in October 2023. The Prince of Wales is the third European aircraft carrier to visit the region and exercise with the MSDF over the past 12 months, following the Italian Navy's Cavour deployment last August and the French Navy's Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier in February. The move is part of an attempt by some of Europe's largest nations to expand security cooperation and interoperability with Indo-Pacific partners. This has, at least in part, been prompted by fears that a crisis akin to that in Ukraine could erupt in Asia — whether due to developments in the South China Sea or in relation to Taiwan — with both European and U.S. regional allies embracing the argument that Indo-Pacific security is 'inseparable' from that of the North Atlantic.
Forbes
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Cruel Summer For The F-35 As Another Forced To Make Emergency Landing
For the second time in its Operation Highmast deployment, the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales saw one of its advanced short takeoff vertical landing (STOVL) fighter planes forced to make an emergency landing at a civilian airport in a faraway land. At least on Sunday, the F-35B Lightning II (designated the "Lightning" in UK service) is in a country that actually operates the aircraft, which may help alleviate some of the security concerns that occurred when the other Lightning II was grounded for more than a month in India. During a joint aerial exercise with the Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces, the F-35B was forced to divert to Kagoshima Airport in south-western Japan after experiencing an in-flight malfunction. It was able to land without significant incident, but did briefly close a runway for about 20 minutes, delaying several commercial flights. According to multiple reports, the issue is minor and likely will not require a special team to be flown out for the UK and U.S., which had been necessary with the F-35B that was forced to divert to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, India. Let The Mockery Continue The Royal Navy warship, which is leading the international Carrier Strike Group 2025 (CSG25), was meant to showcase the UK's commitment to the Indo-Pacific. It is just the second time this century that a British aircraft carrier has sailed to the region, following that of HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2021. Yet, instead of being an opportunity to show the flag, it has marred and is now largely overshadowed by the two incidents. Although minor, with no casualties and no loss of aircraft, it presented an opportunity for Russian and Chinese analysts and military pundits to weigh in, notably on state and social media. Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times that the UK is "struggling to provide adequate maintenance support" for the fifth-generation stealth fighter. The criticism on social media was even more direct; with Sputnik India writing on X that HMS Prince of Wales was "Collecting emergency landings like souvenirs," while @InsideHindustan offered, "WORLD'S BEST JET… REALLY?" Dr. Cliff Lampe, professor of information and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, suggested that this commentary shouldn't be taken that seriously. "Because social media allows anyone to post anything –especially now that social media companies have moved away from regulating any content on their platforms – we can see an increase in efforts like this. People may have multiple motivations for sharing derision, misinformation, anger, or whatever content it is, and financial motivations are certainly going to be part of that," Lampe explained in an email. "It's not clear how much coordination there is in that messaging, but coordination is certainly possible." Another War Of Words The commentary also comes as Paris recently accused Beijing of spreading misinformation about its Dassault Rafale following the border flare-up between India and Pakistan in May. At least one of the Indian Air Force's French-made Rafales was shot down by a Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missile, and New Delhi has acknowledged it underestimated the capabilities of the missile that was fired by a Pakistani J-15 fighter jet. However, Chinese officials used the incident to badmouth the Rafale, and state-backed commentators were vocal on Chinese social media, also casting shade on the Dassault omnirole fighter. Beijing has not so subtly encouraged its online open-source analysts to share their thoughts. Last November, Chinese social media was especially critical of Russia's Su-57 (NATO reporting name Felon) when the aircraft arrived in advance of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. It is therefore not surprising that there is now criticism directed at the F-35. "Unfortunately, in today's hyper-connected media environment, negative PR cycles like this are almost inevitable for high-profile defense programs. A single incident can be amplified globally within hours, especially when it involves flagship assets like the F-35 and when geopolitical rivals are eager to seize on it for propaganda," said Angeli Gianchandani, global brand strategist and adjunct instructor of marketing and public relations at New York University and a graduate of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. The Chinese and Russian mockery also lacks the originality of that of the Kerala Tourism Board, which shared an AI-generated image of the F-35 as tourist giving the region five stars and suggesting, "Kerala is such an amazing place I don't want to leave." What Does It Mean For Lockheed Martin? This is also just the latest in "bad press" for the F-35, following the announcement that NATO ally Spain and neutral Switzerland have both announced a decision to look to other options besides the Lightning II. Lockheed Martin also had to overcome the blowback after an F-35 crashed in California last month near Naval Air Station Lemoore and from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in late January. "For Lockheed Martin, the key factors here are track record, transparency, and customer trust," suggested Gianchandani. "While repeated incidents in close succession can create perception challenges, the F-35 program is deeply entrenched across allied forces, with significant sunk costs, interoperability benefits, and political capital invested. That makes it more resilient to short-term image hits than a consumer-facing brand." Getting that F-35B in Japan back in the air, or at least on the carrier, will be a good step in the right direction. "Lockheed can weather the storm," added Gianchandani. "But success depends on managing the cultural and geopolitical narrative as much as the technical fix, ensuring these are seen as operational anomalies rather than systemic issues."
Daily Mail
11-08-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Second UK F-35 stealth jet is forced to make an emergency landing weeks after another of the £88m warplanes was left stranded in India for a month
A British F-35B was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan just weeks after another of the stealth jets was left stuck in India due to a mechanical fault. The sophisticated £88million fighter jet was diverted to Kagoshima International Airport at around 11.30am local time on Sunday. It had been carrying out a sortie from the Royal Navy's £3.5billion aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which is spearheading the UK carrier strike group in the Indo-Pacific. The warplane, one of around 24 embarked on the British supercarrier, reportedly suffered an engineering issue mid-flight and needed an emergency inspection. Footage of the jet shows it touching down at the airport at around 2pm local time, with the incident leading to the closure of the site's runway for around 20 minutes. 'The aircraft landed at Kagoshima Airport due to a malfunction,' Japan's defence ministry said in a statement. The jet is the second in the British airwing to suffer a technical glitch during the overseas mission to the Far East. In June, an F-35 was forced to make an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram Airport in Kerala, in southern India, after hitting bad weather in the Indian Ocean. A British F-35B jet from HMS Prince of Wales made a precautionary emergency landing at Kagoshima Airport, Japan, due to a technical issue. The incident comes weeks after another F-35B from the same carrier was stranded in India. — Clash Report (@clashreport) August 10, 2025 However, the stealth jet was left stranded at the airport for more than a month after a reported hydraulic failure left it unable to take off. British engineers had to be flown out with specialist equipment to repair the jet, which was able to return to the carrier strike group on July 22. But the F-35's engineering woes led to it becoming the butt of a ruthless joke by Indian media, who mocked it for being left stuck at the airport. Kerala's own government tourist board turned the clapped-out fighter jet into a meme, posting an AI-generated poster poking fun at it. Pictured alongside palm trees and a fake TripAdvisor-style five-star review, the viral post said: 'Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend.' It was signed off by 'UK F-F35B'. The F-35s are the most costly defence programme Britain has ever indulged in, costing the taxpayers' billions of pounds. Last month the National Audit Office warned it will cost around £71billion over its lifetime - which includes aircraft, personnel and infrastructure costs. The Kerala Tourism board tweeted a tongue-in-cheek post about the stranded F-35 in June This is significantly higher than the Ministry of Defence's own estimates of around £18.76billion. Britain currently has 37 of the jets in service, against a pledge to buy a total of 138. One of the jets has already been destroyed following an accident in 2021 that saw it plunging off HMS Queen Elizabeth into the Mediterranean Sea. However, the programme, one of the most complicated engineering schemes in the world involving collaboration between the US, Britain, Japan and other global partners - has been blighted by problems. Plans to equip the jets with 'important weapons', including the integration of UK-developed missiles, and to assure the MoD that the aircraft retains its stealth capabilities, have been pushed back until the 2030s, the NAO warned. The full delivery of the first batch of 48 aircraft is also behind schedule due to a combination of financial pressures and problems relating to the global programme. It's meant the scheme is around two years behind schedule, with full operating capability expected to be achieved at the end of the year. Concerns have also been raised over the poor availability of the aircraft, which has resulted in fewer flying hours for pilots. In its report, the NAO warned costs for the project would likely continue to skyrocket, pushing the MoD further into a multi-billion pound financial black hole that has put a strain on spending for years. 'The MoD has spent £11 billion to date on its F-35 programme – more than it has reported, and more than it anticipated it would spend at the time of the 2013 business case,' the spending watchdog said. 'The NAO has also estimated the whole-life cost of the programme to the UK to be £71billion – considerably higher than the £18.76 billion the MoD has publicly reported.' The F-35Bs, built by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, are prized for their short take-off and vertical landing capability. Britain has already lost one of its jets after it plunged into the sea in the Mediterranean during an accident on HMS Queen Elizabeth's deployment to the Far East in 2021. Queen Elizabeth's sister ship HMS Prince of Wales is currently on her maiden voyage to the region, having departed with the UK carrier strike group in April. The formation of warships, which includes a British Type 45 destroyer, Type 23 frigate, and support vessels - which includes foreign warships and reportedly an American submarine - is currently training with Japan's Self-Defence Forces and the US military until August 12. The deployment, dubbed 'Operation Highmast', is aimed at demonstrating Britain's commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific and its ability to operate alongside allies in the region.
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
British F-35 stealth jet makes emergency landing in Japan after mid-air malfunction
A British F-35B Lightning stealth fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan on Sunday after developing a technical fault. The £88m aircraft, one of the world's most advanced combat jets, landed at the Kagoshima international airport at around 11.30am local time. It was operating from the HMS Prince of Wales as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific. Runway operations were suspended for nearly 20 minutes while the jet was moved to a taxiway for checks, Kyodo News reported. The Japanese defence ministry confirmed the plane had suffered an engineering issue and was undergoing inspections to enable it to rejoin the carrier group as soon as possible, according to the Telegraph. Footage showed the plane parked near the international airport's runway with no visible damage. The UK Carrier Strike Group, which includes the HMS Prince of Wales and multiple escort ships, is carrying out joint exercises with Japanese and American forces under Operation Highmast, aimed at demonstrating Britain's security commitments in the Indo-Pacific. The drills began on 4 August and were scheduled to run until 12 August. This is the second such incident involving a British F-35B fighter in less than two months. Another F-35B jet from the same strike group was stranded in India for more than five weeks following an emergency landing in June. That jet had diverted to the Thiruvananthapuram airport in the southern state of Kerala on 14 June due to bad weather over the Indian Ocean and low fuel, before reporting a hydraulic system fault that affected its landing gear, brakes and control surfaces. British engineers carried out extensive repairs on the aircraft at the Indian airport before it flew out on 22 July. The British High Commission in New Delhi thanked Indian authorities for their 'support and collaboration' during the repair and recovery process. The F-35B is a short take-off and vertical landing variant of the American fighter made by Lockheed Martin and designed for use on aircraft carriers. Britain operates 37 of these jets between the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with a total of 47 expected in service by the end of 2025. In June, the UK government announced plans to purchase at least 12 F-35As, a conventional variant capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Although marketed as the most advanced fighter plane in the world, the F-35 is plagued by reliability concerns. A declassified Pentagon report earlier this year found that the 'overall reliability, maintainability and availability' of the US F-35 fleet remained below service expectations. The UK one F-35B in November 2021 when it crashed into the Mediterranean shortly after take-off from the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The Independent
11-08-2025
- General
- The Independent
British F-35 stealth jet makes emergency landing in Japan after mid-air malfunction
A British F-35B Lightning stealth fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan on Sunday after developing a technical fault. The £88m aircraft, one of the world's most advanced combat jets, landed at the Kagoshima international airport at around 11.30am local time. It was operating from the HMS Prince of Wales as part of the UK Carrier Strike Group in the Indo-Pacific. Runway operations were suspended for nearly 20 minutes while the jet was moved to a taxiway for checks, Kyodo News reported. The Japanese defence ministry confirmed the plane had suffered an engineering issue and was undergoing inspections to enable it to rejoin the carrier group as soon as possible, according to the Telegraph. Footage showed the plane parked near the international airport's runway with no visible damage. The UK Carrier Strike Group, which includes the HMS Prince of Wales and multiple escort ships, is carrying out joint exercises with Japanese and American forces under Operation Highmast, aimed at demonstrating Britain's security commitments in the Indo-Pacific. The drills began on 4 August and were scheduled to run until 12 August. This is the second such incident involving a British F-35B fighter in less than two months. Another F-35B jet from the same strike group was That jet had diverted to the Thiruvananthapuram airport in the southern state of Kerala on 14 June due to bad weather over the Indian Ocean and low fuel, before reporting a hydraulic system fault that affected its landing gear, brakes and control surfaces. British engineers carried out extensive repairs on the aircraft at the Indian airport before it flew out on 22 July. The British High Commission in New Delhi thanked Indian authorities for their 'support and collaboration' during the repair and recovery process. The F-35B is a short take-off and vertical landing variant of the American fighter made by Lockheed Martin and designed for use on aircraft carriers. Britain operates 37 of these jets between the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with a total of 47 expected in service by the end of 2025. In June, the UK government announced plans to purchase at least 12 F-35As, a conventional variant capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Although marketed as the most advanced fighter plane in the world, the F-35 is plagued by reliability concerns. A declassified Pentagon report earlier this year found that the 'overall reliability, maintainability and availability' of the US F-35 fleet remained below service expectations. The UK one F-35B in November 2021 when it crashed into the Mediterranean shortly after take-off from the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
