Breaking News: UK and U.S. F-35Bs fighter jets operate together from Japanese aircraft carrier JS Kaga for first time.

According to information published by the UK Carrier Strike Group on August 9, 2025, images released on its official X account show, for the first time, British and American F-35B Lightning II STOVL (short take-off and vertical landing aircraft ) fighter jets operating together from the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga (DDH-184). This is a historic moment in allied naval aviation, with UK Royal Navy and US Marine Corps pilots conducting cross-deck landings during joint drills in the Western Pacific. This is the first time that both UK and US F-35Bs have been documented landing on and operating from a Japanese carrier simultaneously, representing a new milestone in trilateral maritime airpower cooperation.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter landing on the Japanese aircraft carrier JS Kaga for the first time during allied operations in the Western Pacific, August 9, 2025. (Picture source UK Carrier Strike Group)

The F-35B Lightning II is the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin. Designed to operate from aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships without catapults or arresting gear, the F-35B combines stealth, supersonic speed, and advanced sensor fusion, enabling it to conduct strike missions, air defense, intelligence gathering, and electronic warfare in contested environments. Its unique swiveling exhaust nozzle and lift fan system allow it to take off from short decks and land vertically, making it ideal for operations from ships like JS Kaga. Both the UK and US operate the F-35B from their respective carriers, with the Royal Navy deploying them aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, and the US Marine Corps fielding them from LHD and LHA-class assault ships.

The JS Kaga is the second Izumo-class vessel of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, commissioned in 2017 as a helicopter destroyer. At 248 meters in length and displacing around 27,000 tons fully loaded, Kaga was originally designed to operate anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search-and-rescue helicopters. However, in 2018 Japan announced plans to convert both Izumo-class ships into light aircraft carriers capable of operating the F-35B, marking the first Japanese ships to carry fixed-wing fighters since World War II. The conversion of Kaga includes reinforcing the flight deck to withstand the heat and pressure of F-35B exhaust during vertical landings, reshaping the bow into a more carrier-suitable straight deck, upgrading aviation fuel and ordnance handling systems, and modernizing the ship’s air traffic control and maintenance facilities. When complete, Kaga will be able to embark and sustain around 12 to 14 F-35Bs alongside helicopters, making her a versatile power projection asset.

The acquisition contract for Japan’s F-35Bs was approved in 2019 when Tokyo formally requested 42 aircraft of the STOVL variant from the United States under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The deal, valued at approximately 23 billion USD for the entire F-35 package, includes aircraft, mission systems, spare parts, training, and maintenance support. The first Japanese F-35Bs are expected to be delivered by the late 2020s, with operational deployment planned aboard both JS Kaga and her sister ship JS Izumo once their conversions are complete.

The August 9 operation involving UK and US F-35Bs is not only a symbolic demonstration of allied interoperability but could also serve as an important operational testbed for Japan’s future deployment of its own F-35Bs aboard Kaga and Izumo. By hosting British and American aircraft, Japanese deck crews, aviation technicians, and ship command teams gain firsthand experience managing F-35B flight operations, deck handling procedures, and maintenance routines under real-world conditions. These lessons will directly feed into Japan’s own operational readiness once its F-35B fleet is delivered, reducing the time needed to achieve full combat capability.

The future of JS Kaga within the Japanese Navy is tied to Tokyo’s broader strategy of enhancing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. Japan’s decision to transform Kaga from a helicopter carrier into a light aircraft carrier reflects growing concerns over regional security, particularly with the rapid expansion of China’s naval and air capabilities and the increasing unpredictability of North Korea’s missile program. By enabling Kaga to operate F-35Bs, Japan gains the ability to project advanced airpower far from its shores, protect vital sea lanes, and integrate seamlessly with allied carrier strike groups. This capability also enhances the operational reach of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in scenarios such as defending remote islands or contributing to multinational maritime security operations.

The joint F-35B operations seen on August 9 highlight the growing operational integration between Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Such exercises go beyond symbolic gestures, allowing allied forces to rehearse coordinated strike and air defense missions, test interoperability in deck handling and maintenance procedures, and validate communications and logistics frameworks for combined carrier strike group operations. The ability of UK and US F-35Bs to launch and recover from a Japanese vessel expands tactical flexibility across the Indo-Pacific, giving allied forces more options for rapid deployment, force projection, and mutual support in contested environments.

For Japan, this milestone marks the next phase in its return to fixed-wing carrier aviation, a development that has not occurred since World War II, underscoring its evolving role in regional security. For the UK and US, it demonstrates the global reach of their F-35B fighter jet fleets and their readiness to integrate seamlessly with allied maritime platforms. The images released by the UK Carrier Strike Group provide an exclusive glimpse into the future of cooperative carrier airpower in the Indo-Pacific, where interoperability, readiness, and shared deterrence are crucial to maintaining stability in a rapidly evolving strategic landscape.