22DDH. Art via Defpro.
Posted on 09/15/2011 6:21:16 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Japan to Build New Helicopter Carrier
Japan plans to build a 19,500-ton aircraft carrier capable of housing helicopters after China launched its first own aircraft carrier, Chinese media reported on Wednesday. Japan already has two helicopter carriers -- the Hyuga deployed in March 2009 and the Ise deployed in March 2011 -- but the planned new vessel will be bigger.
The 22DDH is scheduled for deployment in 2015. It will be 248 m long and cost around US$1.04 billion. It is 30 percent bigger than the Ise and can carry 14 helicopters. The Ise measures 197 m, has a displacement of 13,500 tons and can carry 11 helicopters.
Although dwarfed by China's aircraft carrier, which is 320 m long and can carry 50 fighter jets, the Japanese vessel will be equipped with the latest U.S. weapons systems to maximize its capability. It will be equipped with the Raytheon air and missile defense system, which has so far only been installed on U.S. vessels, and 11 missile launchers.
Japan had several aircraft carriers during World War II, but since its defeat it has focused on developing helicopter carriers, which are deemed purely defensive. It appears to be bolstering defenses to counter China's increasing submarine warfare capabilities. The new carrier will house mainly helicopters designed for anti-submarine warfare operations.
There are increasing calls within Japan to modify the 22DDH for fighter jets. But critics say it would be unrealistic to build such an aircraft carrier since its navy has only 45,000 personnel, and the already indebted government would run deeper into debt.
Chinese media speculated that Japan could buy Lookheed Martin F-35B stealth fighters capable of vertical takeoff and landing and base them on the new carrier.
Japan is also speeding up the development of stealth fighters and drones. Since 2009, it has invested 39 billion yen (around W562.2 billion) on development of an indigenous stealth fighter codenamed ATD-X. A prototype is expected to be unveiled in 2014, and development is to be complete in 2016.
Japan's Defense Ministry is also spending 15 billion yen this year on developing drones and robots. One unmanned helicopter has already been deployed with the Self-Defense Forces, while four prototype drones have been developed.
englishnews@chosun.com / Sep. 15, 2011 13:57 KST
22DDH. Art via Defpro.
Ping.
jap ships look “real”.
Other than the fact that the JDF is a defense force, there’s not much that I can see stopping this ship from using a VTOL aircraft like the Harrier. Wasn’t there a VTOL version of the F-35?
Sloppy "Photoshopping"...
“Helicopter destroyers” my arse. Since China has embarked on an aggressive program to develop a blue water navy Japan needs to drop the pretense and embrace their naval traditions.
Nippon Helio carrier build
Japan needs to drop the pretense and embrace their naval traditions.
Time to connect to the CAT and launch Tora,tora,tora
I hope they name it Akagi.
I doubt the Japanese will quietly accept becoming China’s Bee-otch.
>>> Japan to Build New Helicopter Carrier
I particularly like how Japanese carriers can turn into giant Samurai fighting robots. I wish ours could do that.
ping
CV ping
Ospreys? Do these things carry Marines too? I thought it was just a Helo carrier.
I agree that small and stealthy are a good idea for a defense force, but remember that these things aren't really small. This new ship is almost exactly the same size of the Yorktown class fleet carriers we used in World War II and they're not much smaller than the Essex class that replaced the Yorktowns. I realize that the Nimitz class would dwarf this little ship, but that's a super carrier and I think the US is the only nation in the world capable of building them.
The Koreans (Hyundai heavy industries) could build a diesel powered super carrier in 2 years.
The F-35B is the ASTOVL version. It should be ideal for this ship provided our current administration doesn’t cancel that portion of the program.
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