JS Kaga


JS Kaga is a helicopter carrier with a planned future conversion into an aircraft carrier. Officially classified as a multi-purpose operation destroyer, she is the second ship in the of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Her namesake arises from Kaga Province in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture.
The ship bears the same name, and is slightly longer in length than the aircraft carrier, which served in the Imperial Japanese navy in WWII and led the attack on Pearl Harbor. The original Kaga was scuttled in June 1942 after Battle of Midway.

Construction

Kaga is intended to replace the aging , based on the schedule outlined within the :ja:中期防衛力整備計画 #23中期防|23 Mid-term Defence Capability Maintenance Plan to construct a 19,500-ton helicopter destroyer. Construction began at the Yokohama plant of Japan Marine United on 7 October 2013, and the ship was launched on 27 August 2015, with plans for commission in March 2017. Construction of the ship cost 115.5 billion yen.

Characteristics

Aircraft carried

The ship can host up to 28 aircraft, or 14 larger aircraft. However, only 7 anti-submarine warfare helicopters and 2 search and rescue helicopters are planned for the initial aircraft complement. For other operations, 400 troops and 50 3.5-ton trucks can also be carried. The flight deck has five helicopter landing spots that allow simultaneous landings or take-offs.
In 2010, Forecast International reported that some design features were intended to support fixed wing aircraft such as the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II; as of 2019 both Kaga and Izumo are scheduled to be refit to accommodate the F-35B STOVL variant, Kaga during its five-year overhaul in 2022.

Air-defense

The ship is equipped with two Phalanx CIWS and two SeaRAM for her defense.

Operational history

Kaga toured the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean in 2018 in order to bolster Japan's presence in geostrategic waters, according to press reports.

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