A US F-35 stealth fighter just landed on a destroyer Japan turned into an aircraft carrier for the first time off the California coast

• The US landed an F-35 stealth fighter on Japan’s new aircraft carrier for the first time.
• US and Japanese forces are integrating the short-takeoff/vertical landing F-35B onto the JS Kaga.
• The Kaga is a destroyer-turned-aircraft carrier and Japan’s first such vessel since World War II.

A US F-35 stealth fighter jet landed aboard Japan’s new destroyer-turned-aircraft carrier for the first time off the coast of California, the US military said, sharing photos of the event.

It’s a major step in integrating the F-35B short-takeoff/vertical landing variant used by the US Marine Corps and the British Royal Navy on its carriers into Japan’s self-defense forces.

The test operation occurred Sunday, with a US F-35 Lightning II aircraft from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) at Naval Air Base Patuxent River in Maryland landing on the JS Kaga off San Diego, California.

The developmental test involved a pilot flying “a specially instrumented F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the 5th generation air system” before touching down around 3:15pm, per a US military statement. The F-35 is a fifth-generation stealth aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Japan’s JS Kaga arrived in San Diego in September to work with US forces on integrating the F-35 onto the newly converted ship. The Kaga, previously a helicopter carrier technically identified as a destroyer, finished its conversion into a flattop capable of launching and recovering F-35Bs in April.

The modifications include a deck painted with heat-resistant material to withstand the F-35B variant’s vector-thrust engines, lights for nighttime operations, and a reshaped flight deck.

“This test is essential for strengthening Japan’s defense capabilities and is of utmost importance. We will do our best to achieve good test results together with the ITF,” Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Capt. Shusaku Takeuchi, the Kaga’s commanding officer, said, referring to the F-35 Pax River Integrated Test Force.

“This test does not merely enhance the capabilities of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. It also improves the interoperability between Japan and the US, strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance, thereby contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.

The Kaga is involved in ongoing sea trials, which will take approximately three weeks, to operate the F-35B. Kaga’s successful modification also paves the way for another Japanese helicopter carrier, JS Izumo, to be converted into an aircraft carrier.

Japan has been dramatically overhauling its Self-Defense Force since October 2021, creating its first amphibious military unit and developing its first aircraft carriers since World War II.

The Kaga resembles the “lightning carrier” design that the US Navy have explored with some of its big-deck amphibious assault ships, such as the USS Bataan, which previously engaged in combat against the Houthis in the Red Sea.

For Japan, the upgrades not only represent ongoing and increased US-Japanese cooperation but also a new military capability as China continues its military buildup and engages in aggressive behavior in the South and East China Seas. 

The US is also working with Japan on new defense technology, including hypersonic missile defenses. There have been discussions about involving Tokyo in the trilateral Australia, UK, and US AUKUS partnership as well.