JS Izumo


JS Izumo is a helicopter carrier which, as of 2020, is being converted into a light aircraft carrier. Officially classified as a multi-purpose operation destroyer, she is the lead ship in the of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. She is the second warship to be named for Izumo Province, with the previous ship being the armoured cruiser .
The ruling Liberal Democrat Party announced in May 2018 that it favours converting Izumo to operate fixed-wing aircraft. The conversion was confirmed in December 2018 when Japan announced the change of its defense guidelines. Upon the completion of the process, Izumo will be the first Japanese aircraft carrier since World War II.

Design and construction

The construction of the first ship of the class began in 2011 at an IHI Marine United shipyard in Yokohama, with funding totalling 113.9 billion yen being set aside in the fiscal 2010 budget for this purpose. The destroyers of this class were initially intended to replace the two ships of the, which were originally scheduled to begin decommissioning in FY2014.
The ship, the largest Japanese naval vessel since World War II, was laid down on 27 January 2012 and launched on 6 August 2013. The ship began sea trials on 29 September 2014. The ship was commissioned on 25 March 2015.
The ship is as large as a Japanese carrier of Second World War-era. Izumo is called a destroyer because the Japanese constitution forbids the acquisition of offensive weapons but the vessel allows Japan to project military power well beyond its territorial waters.

Characteristics

Aircraft carried

The ship can carry up to 28 aircraft, or 14 larger aircraft. Only seven ASW helicopters and two SAR helicopters are planned for the initial aircraft complement. For other operations, 400 troops and 50 3.5-ton trucks can also be carried. The flight deck has five helicopter landing spots that allow simultaneous landings and take-offs.
In 2010, Forecast International reported that some design features were intended to support fixed-wing aircraft such as the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II; although neither the Ministry of Defense nor the JMSDF have mentioned the possibility of introducing fixed-wing aircraft. The ship has neither a "ski-jump" nor a catapult, typical features for launching fixed-wing aircraft. If Izumo-class ships were to operate fixed-wing aircraft, they would be limited to STOVL aircraft. Japan has purchased the conventional version of the Lightning II but may buy the STOVL version which could be operated from a modified Izumo-class ship. In December 2018, it was announced that the Japanese government would change its defense guidelines and purchase about 40 F-35B to operate them from both Izumo and her sister ship.

Air-defense

The ship is equipped with three Phalanx CIWS and two SeaRAM for her defense.

Operational history

Izumo became operational in time to take part in a major August 2015 disaster drill conducted in Tokyo, alongside the Japan Coast Guard's large patrol vessel Izu. The two vessels acted as casualty receiving and triage stations during the exercise.
In May 2017 Izumo was deployed to escort, a US supply vessel, to the area off Shikoku. Richard E. Byrds mission was to refuel another US warship that was defending against North Korean missiles. This was the first time a Japanese vessel was deployed to escort a US ship since security legislation was enacted in March 2016. A small protest took place at Yokosuka after Izumos departure. The destroyer also joined the mission.
In 2020, Izumo began her conversion to operate the F-35B fighter aircraft.