Japan's new aircraft carrier

[FourWheelDrift]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23589543

BBC said:

The $1.2 billion aircraft carrier has a flight deck almost 250m long, which can reportedly carry nine helicopters.

I'd want my money back if that's all it can carry.

More pics here - http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread963356/p...
and here - http://www.10news.com/news/military/japan-unveils-...

Seriously I thought the Japanese weren't allowed to build carriers again after the little Pacific tiff. I suppose that's why this ship, that's only a little bit smaller than our QEs in size is officially called a helicopter destroyer.

So Asian arms race is on.

[MBBlat]

But its not a carrier - its a through deck destroyer

[Tango13]

At least they managed to get the island on the correct side this time

[rhinochopig]

Tango13 said:

At least they managed to get the island on the correct side this time

The side above the waterline?

[12v3pot]

Do the Japanese have any STOL jets to take advantage if/when they want to? Or would the Mericans be using it in that scenario?

[davepoth]

12v3pot said:

Do the Japanese have any STOL jets to take advantage if/when they want to? Or would the Mericans be using it in that scenario?

http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2013/06/japan-consid...

They don't have them yet.

[Tango13]

rhinochopig said:

Tango13 said:

At least they managed to get the island on the correct side this time

The side above the waterline?

The IJN had the only two carriers ever built that had the island on the Port side of the ship, The Hiryū and Akagi

[rhinochopig]

Tango13 said:

rhinochopig said:

Tango13 said:

At least they managed to get the island on the correct side this time

The side above the waterline?

The IJN had the only two carriers ever built that had the island on the Port side of the ship, The Hiryū and Akagi

Why is that a problem then?

[Martin4356111]

12v3pot said:

Do the Japanese have any STOL jets to take advantage if/when they want to? Or would the Mericans be using it in that scenario?

Japan don't operate any STOL or STOVL aircraft. As it also lacks a ski ramp, it wouldn't be suited/viable to STOL or STOVL operations with any current aircraft that are in service.

Open to correction though.

[SmoothCriminal]

Japan is only allowed a navel defence force but some members of government want that to change.

There was a big who ha when a government minister said that they should learn from Nazi Germany and hitler in particular in the way he managed to change the role of Germany's military.

[Seight_Returns]

Martin4356111 said:

Japan don't operate any STOL or STOVL aircraft. As it also lacks a ski ramp, it wouldn't be suited/viable to STOL or STOVL operations with any current aircraft that are in service.

Open to correction though.

The USMC operate AV-8B Harriers off the Wasp and Tarawa Amphibious Assualt ships which don't have a ski jump.

Not sure what the intention is for operating F-35B from the Wasps and Tarawas - whether they'll continue to operate without a ramp, the ships to be modified to have ramps or new ships with ramps to be built.

[Eric Mc]

SmoothCriminal said:

Japan is only allowed a navel defence force but some members of government want that to change.

Why?

Staring at one's navel can lead to all sorts of original ideas.

[Eric Mc]

Seight_Returns said:

Martin4356111 said:

Japan don't operate any STOL or STOVL aircraft. As it also lacks a ski ramp, it wouldn't be suited/viable to STOL or STOVL operations with any current aircraft that are in service.

Open to correction though.

The USMC operate AV-8B Harriers off the Wasp and Tarawa Amphibious Assualt ships which don't have a ski jump.

Not sure what the intention is for operating F-35B from the Wasps and Tarawas - whether they'll continue to operate without a ramp, the ships to be modified to have ramps or new ships with ramps to be built.

Indeed.

They also operated the original and lower powered AV8As (GR1 equivalent) off ships without ski-ramps.

[trashbat]

FourWheelDrift said:

officially called a helicopter destroyer

I don't know why they bothered. Helicopters destroy themselves for free all the time.

[AshVX220]

Eric Mc said:

Seight_Returns said:

Martin4356111 said:

Japan don't operate any STOL or STOVL aircraft. As it also lacks a ski ramp, it wouldn't be suited/viable to STOL or STOVL operations with any current aircraft that are in service.

Open to correction though.

The USMC operate AV-8B Harriers off the Wasp and Tarawa Amphibious Assualt ships which don't have a ski jump.

Not sure what the intention is for operating F-35B from the Wasps and Tarawas - whether they'll continue to operate without a ramp, the ships to be modified to have ramps or new ships with ramps to be built.

Indeed.

They also operated the original and lower powered AV8As (GR1 equivalent) off ships without ski-ramps.

The F-35b program have already conducted sea-trials of an F-35b off of the USMC ships, without a ramp and they will go into service on those ships without the addition of a ramp. There's a vid on youtube which is also linked to from the F-35 thread on here.

[ninja-lewis]

Seight_Returns said:

Not sure what the intention is for operating F-35B from the Wasps and Tarawas - whether they'll continue to operate without a ramp, the ships to be modified to have ramps or new ships with ramps to be built.

Without. The USMC value the extra helicopter spot more than any advantages of a ramp for fixed wing operations.

[12v3pot]

SmoothCriminal said:

Japan is only allowed a navel defence force but some members of government want that to change.

There was a big who ha when a government minister said that they should learn from Nazi Germany and hitler in particular in the way he managed to change the role of Germany's military.

There's a general trend in Japanese politics to rewrite WWII history. In this version of events, Japan was The Good Guy, and it does not deserve the post-war limitations on its military nor the hatred from its neighbours (who are now free only thanks to Japan's brave actions against Western colonialism).

[Simpo Two]

I'm surprised 1945 politics is still valid; the world has changed a lot since then.

[Eric Mc]

Changed enough for history to be rewritten and no one to know any different, perhaps.

[12v3pot]

There's a big controversy in the way in which modern history is taught in Japan. For the moment, the nationalistic revisionists are not getting their way, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Society_for_...