A U.S. F-35B Lightning II aircraft has landed aboard the Japanese destroyer JS Kaga to begin a three-week developmental test.
According to the press release posted by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Lockheed Martin-manufactured F-35B test jet, which belongs to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three, landed on the Izumo-class helicopter carrier on Sunday to start the sea trials on the southern coast of California.
In September, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force announced that JS Kaga, one of its largest warships, would undergo operational tests with the F-35B aircraft from Oct. 5 to Nov. 18 to “collect the data necessary for ship-based operation of F-35B on Izumo-class vessels.”
The sea trials will take advantage of the ship’s recent modifications, which include a heat-resistant flight deck and enhanced lighting. JS Kaga and another helicopter carrier, JS Izumo, are undergoing a two-stage overhaul to upgrade them into light aircraft carriers capable of operating F-35B fighters. The upgrades will reportedly be completed in fiscal year 2027.
“This test … improves the interoperability between Japan and the U.S., strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-U.S. alliance, thereby contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said JMSDF Capt. Shusaku Takeuchi, JS Kaga’s commanding officer.
Kaga’s operational tests align with JMSDF’s Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024 initiative, which seeks to enhance Japan’s cooperation with its allied navies through joint exercises and contribute to the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.