Marines Considering Flying U.S. F-35Bs Off of Japan’s Largest Warships
THE PENTAGON – Officials in Tokyo have requested Marines deploy F-35B fighters aboard Japan’s largest warships, a U.S. defense official confirmed to USNI News on Friday.
The service is now studying the feasibility of deploying short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) fighters from JS
Izumo (DDH-183) and JS
Kaga (DDH-184), Japan’s 24,000-ton big deck amphibious.
The warships were originally designed to field a fleet of anti-submarine warfare helicopters and respond to humanitarian aid and disaster relief. However, in December Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a move to
convert the two ships to field the STOVL F-35s in parallel with Japan’s purchase of 42 F-35Bs, reported
The Diplomat.
In March, the Abe government asked then-Marine commandant Gen. Robert Neller if the U.S. would consider deploying Marine F-35Bs from
Izumo and Kaga, reported
The Asahi Shimbun earlier this week.
https://news.usni.org/2019/08/23/mar...rgest-warships
China is the threat to the entire region.
What strategic tools do we have?
Diplomacy. Yes. We can develop and improve our bilateral agreements with every country in the region.
Information. Yes. We can do a better, more consistent job both here and overseas to highlight why China is such a threat.
Military. Yes. We can arrange for basing and intelligence-sharing arrangements. We can arrange for military exercises in the reagion.
Economic. We can bring China to an agreement or we can cut ties. We can improve our economic agreements with every other country in the region.