meanwhile, in the East

[Simfan34]

Maybe it can accompany the totally-not-an-aircraft-carrier Izumo on excursions.

[Simfan34]

The Izumo could also be easily refitted for STOVL operations. It's only around 27,000 tons. The Wasp is, what, 40,000?

The Hyuga class is around 19,000 tons, comparable to the Spanish Prince of Asturias, another carrier.



The two Hyuga-class ships, the two Izumo-class ships, and this new ship will bring the total number of aircraft helicopter carriers in the JMSDF to five. The two Dokdo-class ships in the ROKN could also accommodate VSTOL jets. Don't think that just because an aircraft carrier in our navy has to be 100,000 tons means than anything less cannot be.

[Simfan34]

Yeah, I'm just trying to say that these "helicopter carriers" are really just a bunch of light (or in the case of this new one not-so-light) aircraft carriers. I could easily see the Hyugas remaining helicopter carriers but it's not hard to imagine the Izumo-class and this new one operating F-35Bs.

Actually, I only skimmed over the article the first time around and imagined was something along the lines of the San Antonio class. Only later did I realise it was so.. heavy.