Modification into Aircraft Carrier

Possibly being envious of People’s Liberation Army of China possessing an aircraft carrier Liaoning, Ministry of Defense began to consider modifying a helicopter carrier named Izumo into an aircraft carrier. After the modification, Izumo is supposed to carry cutting-edge stealth fighter jet, F-35B Lightening II. If it obtains potential capability of attacking other countries, Izumo may contradict with exclusively defensive security policy of Japan, which has long been upheld by the government as a requirement of Article 9 of Constitution of Japan.

Izumo is the largest vessel of Maritime Self-defense Force after World War II with 248 meters long from stem to stern and 19,500 metric tons of standard displacement. Having a large flat deck, the vessel has the same shape of aircraft carrier. Japanese government has been explaining that it was a helicopter carrier, not a carrier for fixed-wing aircraft. But the ministry has been considering carrying F-35B from the beginning of its service in 2015.

Not large enough like US aircraft carriers, Izumo needs to be equipped with catapult or ski-jump shaped deck edge. The deck has to be more heat-resistant. But the size of Izumo still does not fit for ordinary fighter jets. MoD considers carrying aircrafts with capability of short take-off and vertical landing such as F-35B. The ministry tries to design Izumo as a defensive aircraft carrier for operation of defending isolated islands like Senkakus.

Well, the big question is how can it be defensive? The border between offence and defense is not clear about an aircraft carrier. Traditional interpretation of Constitution of Japan has been that JSDF cannot have offensive weapons including aircraft carrier, intercontinental ballistic missile or long-range strategic bomber, which is recognized as force beyond minimum and necessary capability for defense.

Followed by consecutive provocation from North Korea with nuclear and missile tests, Abe administration has been active in enhancing capability of Self-defense Force. New budget for introducing long-range cruising missiles was included in the draft of governmental budget for FY 2018. It is likely that Prime Minister Abe will immediately approve the request of MoD to have an aircraft carrier.

It is inevitable that Japan’s possession of aircraft carrier will raise the tension between Japan and China. China has closely been watching at enhancement of Japan’s military capability, which could be seen in ground-based information system called Aegis Ashore. It is obvious indeed that Abe administration does not care about losing post-war reputation of Japan strictly defensive.