Japan breaks the taboo: its destroyers will become aircraft carriers with F-35B

Published on May 28, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

Japan is operating aircraft carriers again 80 years after World War II. The helicopter destroyers Kaga and Izumo are preparing to receive F-35B stealth fighters from the U.S. Marine Corps in June. Tokyo avoids calling them aircraft carriers due to its pacifist Constitution, but the maneuvers will include vertical takeoffs and landings. The strategic deterioration in the Indo-Pacific, with Chinese pressure on Taiwan and North Korea, forces this change. 🚢

Japanese Izumo-class destroyer with flight deck modifications, F-35B stealth fighter performing vertical takeoff from Kaga vessel, retractable heat-resistant deck panels raised during engine nozzle rotation, maintenance crew in protective gear monitoring landing gear hydraulics, morning sunlight reflecting off sea surface, dramatic Pacific Ocean backdrop with distant naval silhouettes, photorealistic military engineering visualization, metallic hull textures with anti-slip coating, vapor trails from lift fan exhaust, dynamic action showing transition from ship to air operations, cinematic wide-angle composition, ultra-detailed mechanical deck systems

The Technical Metamorphosis of Izumo and Kaga ✈️

Both ships, originally designed as 27,000-ton helicopter destroyers, have been modified to withstand the heat and force of the F-35B's vertical takeoffs. The deck was coated with high-temperature resistant material and landing markings were added. The maximum capacity will be 12 to 14 stealth fighters per ship. Japan seeks to disperse its air power and reduce reliance on land bases that China could neutralize with ballistic missiles.

Call them destroyers, but we all know what they are ⚔️

It's like calling a tank with rear seats a family minivan. Tokyo insists they are not aircraft carriers, but F-35Bs taking off from their deck tell a different story. The irony is that the U.S., which drafted Japan's pacifist Constitution in 1945, now applauds and lends the fighters so these ships can do exactly what was prohibited. If anyone asks, they are just destroyers with a vocation for flight.