Japan's defense chief visits ship being remodeled into aircraft carrier
Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said it is "absolutely necessary" that Japan is capable of launching and landing F-35Bs at sea so that it "can deal with the new security environment."
Fixed-wing aircraft flown from Japanese warship for first time since WWII
The Defense Ministry has confirmed the successful landing and departure of cutting-edge F-35B stealth fighter jets operated by the U.S. Marines from the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Izumo.
Chiba man arrested after holding woman hostage for 18 hours in Shimane
A woman was released unharmed Wednesday morning after being held hostage for 18 hours by a man at the headquarters of a transport company in Shimane Prefecture, police said. Kaisei Nakao of Chiba Prefecture, who had wielded a sharp object, was arrested on the spot ...
Japan's next SDF mission to Mideast may include its biggest warships
The next Self-Defense Forces dispatch to the Middle East could get Cabinet approval by the end of the year.
U.S. F-35Bs may conduct takeoff and landing drills on Japan's renovated Izumo carriers
The U.S. military's F-35B fighter jets could use Izumo-class ships for training exercises after the Japanese vessels are renovated to be able to host such aircraft, Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Thursday. Takeoff and landing drills using the Japanese helicopter carriers, which are due to ...
Japan's largest warship joins U.S. carrier for military exercises in disputed South China Sea
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Izumo helicopter carrier has joined the United States' sole forward-deployed aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, in joint military exercises in the disputed South China Sea, the MSDF and U.S. 7th Fleet said in separate statements Wednesday. The drills, which included ...
In symbolic first, Abe and Trump jointly address military personnel aboard Japan's Kaga carrier
Peppered with pomp and decorum, Trump’s four-day visit to Japan ended with a gesture highlighting the long-standing military ties between the two countries.
Naval vessels from Japan, the U.S., India and the Philippines have sailed together through the disputed South China Sea in a nearly weeklong multilateral drill amid tensions with China over the strategic waterway. The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Izumo — Japan's largest flat-topped helicopter carrier — ...
Trump to inspect Japanese helicopter carrier with Abe during state visit later this month
U.S. President Donald Trump will likely board the Kaga, an Izumo-class helicopter carrier docked at a Maritime Self-Defense Force base near Tokyo, when he makes a state visit to Japan in late May, bilateral sources said Wednesday. Accompanied by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump is ...
Journalists on Wednesday were given a guided tour of the Izumo — Japan's largest flat-topped helicopter carrier — for the first time since the Defense Ministry revealed a controversial plan late last year to convert it so that it could handle fixed-wing aircraft — ...
Japan cancels MSDF port call in South Korea amid chilly ties
The Defense Ministry said Tuesday it decided to cancel a port call by a helicopter carrier in South Korea this spring as relations between the two countries have been strained over alleged provocative acts by each of their militaries. Several Maritime Self-Defense Force ships including ...
The Defense Ministry plans to cancel a port call by its Izumo helicopter carrier in South Korea this spring amid growing tensions between the two countries over alleged risky moves by each of their militaries, a Japanese government source said Saturday. The Maritime Self-Defense Force ...
