Japan's biggest warship offers clue to military ambitions
One of Japan's largest warships, the helicopter carrier Izumo, offers a glimpse of where its military is headed: For the first time, troops from a newly formed amphibious brigade of the Self-Defense Forces participated in an extended naval deployment. The Izumo left Subic, a former ...
Japan's Izumo helicopter carrier, destroyer visit Vietnam's strategic Cam Ranh port
The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Izumo helicopter carrier and a destroyer arrived at Vietnam's strategic Cam Ranh International Port on Friday in a move seen as highlighting growing the two countries ties amid Chinese moves in the disputed South China Sea. The MSDF ships' visit 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 ...
AWACS aircraft to coordinate with carrier-borne F-35Bs as part of Japan's defense plans: sources
AWACS aircraft would fly from a ground base to conduct surveillance missions in operational areas of the U.S.-made fighter jets carried by the revamped Izumo carrier.
Japan shrugs off constitutional concerns, but question remains: Are aircraft carriers necessary?
Although Japan's defense policy appears to have taken a new twist with a decision to deploy an aircraft carrier, doubts remain over whether the plan will best serve its national interests as the nation struggles with what it views as a growing threat from ...
Japan defense plan calls for aircraft carriers at sea and vigilance in space and cyberspace
The latest guidelines, which call for the modification of helicopter carriers so they can launch F-35B fighter jets, were adopted amid concerns over China’s expanding military activities.
