Japan may refit warship into 1st aircraft carrier to deploy F-35 stealth fighters

Japan is seeking to possess its first aircraft carrier to allow for the deployment of US-made stealth fighters. A draft outline of a new 10-year defense plan, presented by the government on Tuesday, proposes refitting an existing helicopter carrier into one that can deploy US-made F-35 stealth fighters capable of short take-offs and vertical landings, AP reports. A candidate would be the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s helicopter carrier Izumo, a 250-meter-long warship that can carry 14 helicopters. Possessing an aircraft carrier would give Japan a strike capability in violation to the country’s pacifist constitution, critics warn. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scrapping the current program after only five years, citing rapid changes in a security environment that requires higher deterrence to cope with “threats from North Korea and China.” Tokyo plans to buy 99 F-35s to replace some of the country’s fleet of F-15s.