Japanese Helicopter Carrier Completes F-35B Fighter Integration

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Kaga helicopter carrier has completed integration tests with the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing fighter.

The completion of these tests, announced on the fleet’s X social media page, clears the way for Japanese pilot training on the F-35B from 2025.

The integration tests, conducted in collaboration with U.S. Marine Corps F-35B aircraft and U.S. Navy specialists, took place near San Diego after the JS Kaga arrived there on October 5. Preparation continued until October 20, leading to the first successful F-35B landing on the carrier’s deck around 15:00 local time that day.

JS Kaga, the second ship of the Izumo class, has been modified to accommodate the F-35B aircraft, unlike its counterpart JS Izumo, which underwent initial tests on an unmodified deck. Starting in 2025, Japanese F-35B pilots will begin regular takeoff and landing training aboard these helicopter carriers as part of a broader defense plan.

Japan's Ministry of Defense plans to use these F-35B fighters, based at Nyutabaru Airbase in Shintomi, Miyazaki Prefecture, for specific operations on helicopter carriers. Japan is set to receive 42 F-35B aircraft, organized into four squadrons to support this deployment.