Japan's Izumo to host F-35B flight testing with US Marine pilots from Oct 3

The US Marine Corps is gearing up to launch F-35B jets from Japan. The joint military operation is being carried out between the US and Japan to test the ability of the cruse Izumo, the main aircraft carrier to operate F-35B Joint Strike Fighters.

According to an official statement released by the Defense Ministry of Japan, the warships were recently modified to conduct the test operation that could accommodate the highly advanced jets. Notably, the F-35Bs can carry out Short Takeoffs and Vertical Landings (STOVL).

According to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the tests will be conducted in the Pacific Ocean off the Japanese coast between October 3 and October 7. Japan's Izumo was docked at Marine Combat Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry has not made any announcement about which Marine squadron will support the operation, but it is expected that the aircraft and crew from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242 will take part in the flight operations as they have been based in Japan since 2017.

US-Japan defence relations

According to the 2019 deal between the US and Japan, the latter is slated to receive 42 of the F-35Bs, which are expected to arrive in the next two years. Japan already has eight STOVL jets on contract delivery, which will arrive in 2024. Recently, the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-242 has been approved to operate the F-35B, and the ship is also ready to carry out the operation. The work on the ship was completed by the Japan Marine United shipyard in Isogo, Yokohama.

According to Defense News, the ship included the application of a heat-resistant coating to cope with the extreme heat along with the installation of landing, lighting, and other facilities. Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga has already sanctioned $60 million to convert the Izumo in the defence budget for the 2022 fiscal year. The conversion of the ship will include the rebuilding of the flight deck from a trapezoidal to rectangular model, along with modifications in the ship's internal spaces to accommodate F-35B operations.

(Image: AP)