Japan's SDF destroyers are being converted into aircraft carriers
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When the Kaga was built, it was only designed to accommodate helicopters (as can be seen in your before picture) and maybe a couple of tilt-rotors.
It was an aircraft landing platform, but not an airplane launcher. Even a VTOL jet would have a bad day trying to land and take of on such a narrow and moving target.
Now with America’s blessing, it’s being retrofitted to allow for all type of aircraft and be a true carrier in the military sense.
It’s actually a little bit of history repeating,. Some of Imperial Japan’s aircraft carriers were also retrofits of ships that weren’t originally meant to serve that purpose (including the IJN Kaga).
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Aircraft carriers have been useful about once since 1945. The Falklands. A war fought in the middle of nowhere about a tiny island that nobody really needs. The last colonial battle. Every other conflict has been better served from ground bases. The gulf wars could easily have been served almost exclusively from Cyprus for instance.
So usefulness: not so much, mostly offensive
Costs: exorbitant. Massive issues with the most recent pair in the UK. And don't buy Japanese (or anyone else's) exceptionalism. These things are money pits in hardware, manpower, training, testing, supplying, fueling, maintenance, and repairs.
Modern day defence capabilities: almost fuck all. No anti missile defences, no anti AUV, anti-submarine is usually a heli on board. With glide bombs being de jure primary weapons currently and them having a range of approximately 70Km. Combined with the threat of hypersonic missiles. Usually housing vast quantities of marines too.
These things are massive white elephants, obvious targets, expensive to boot. Why the fuck would you convert a destroyer? (Even one as obviously not a destroyer)
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In World War 2, the British had the Hawker Tornado, succeeded by the Hawker Typhoon, succeeded by the Hawker Tempest, partially succeeded by the Hawker Sea Fury, in that order.
They then were involved with multinational European multirole fighters, which I am very sure that they had a hand in naming.
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Eurofighter Typhoon, its successor.
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BAE Tempest, its successor.
I am pretty confident that I know what the name of the UK's next multirole fighter will be.
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Now with America’s blessing, it’s being retrofitted to allow for all type of aircraft
It's being retrofitted to allow for STOVL aircraft, not "all type of aircraft". They are not installing catapults, arresting gear, or the angled deck needed for CATOBAR operations.
and be a true carrier in the military sense.
True. It will definitely be a true carrier in the military sense. The F-35B is a very capable aircraft, and they will be able to operate a wide variety of helicopters and
Just to put it in perspective: It will be comparable to what the US navy calls an "Amphibious Assault Ship" (Wasp and America classes, carrying ~20 aircraft each) than its current "Carriers" (Nimitz and Ford classes, with ~90 aircraft each).
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Also, the original Kaga being an aircraft carrier was because the US was more-concerned about Japan having a ton of battleships that might be a threat to the US and negotiated battleship limits in the Washington Naval Treaty, so it was converted into an aircraft carrier...which turned out when World War II came around, to be a lot more potent than battleships were, so there was an even earlier reversal in position.
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You just said this, but reiterating from why I had heard. Japan designed these to be aircraft carriers and called them helicopter carriers with the intent of converting them when they were needed.
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Japan's what!
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The aircraft carrier is about power projection. Kinda weird for a "defensive" force to want some.
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It's almost like the people who made these decisions don't agree with your esteemed analysis.
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And exactly what do you expect them to use in a surprise kaiju attack?
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https://onukdefence.co.uk/military-capability/are-uk-aircraft-carriers-vital-or-white-elephants/ - ain't just my analysis!
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We are living in times where countries are doing or threatening land grabs even to their supposed allies. I think this is a preemptive message of don't fuck with.
