United States F-35 Fighters To Operate From Japanese Carrier JS Izumo

United States F-35 Fighters To Operate From Japanese Carrier JS Izumo
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The F-35B fighter jets of the US Marine Corps will be taking off from an unusual location this year. That is from a Japanese aircraft carrier called Izumo.

The ship Izumo is an important warship in Japanese history. It is the country’s first warship that is capable of operating fixed-wing aircraft since world war-II. Izumo recently completed its first refit to allow it to operate F-35Bs.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH-183) steams during a ship maneuvering exercise for Malabar 2017. Credits: US Navy

While Japan is waiting to receive its order of 42 F-35Bs, Izumo will operate US Marines Corps F-35B fighters. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger said,

“We’re not going to go on deployment but we’re actually going to fly U.S. Marine Corps F-35s off of a Japanese ship,”

Marine Corps F-35Bs has deployed abroad Royal Navy aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth which is voyaging half around the world to visit countries in the Asia-Pacific region including Yokosuka, Japan.

The Carrier Queen Elizabeth can accommodate up to 36 F-35Bs. Currently, it contains a total of 18 F-35s including the 10 from the US Marine Corps and 8 jets from the Royal Air Force’s 617 Fighter Squadron.

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