Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1532587
from the VX-23 test squadron were transferred onto the ship operating off the California coast. Flights were con- ducted during daytime, and at night, until November 7. In addition to flight operations, the trials assessed the feasi- bility of hosting the jets and performing routine mainte- nance on the aircraft using the onboard infrastructure. The compiled results, which must go through bureaucra- tic review, are expected to lead to the certification of the ship (as well as its sister vessel, JS Izumo, which is under- going final shipyard work) between 2027 and 2028. In the initial phase of operational deployment, these destroyers will likely collaborate with U.S. Marine Corps F-35B squ- adrons. This is necessary to introduce the aircraft into active service and allow Japanese personnel to gain ope- rational experience before they independently operate the aircraft. According to plans, Japan's Ministry of Defense intends to acquire 42 F-35B Lightning II aircraft. The U.S. Department of State approved Japan's request for this purchase in July 2020. The first two aircraft were formally ordered in April 2023 as part of the 17th production batch. It is also worth noting that these were not the first fli- ght operations from Izumo-class helicopter destroyers. In early October 2021, a brief test cycle involving U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft (from VMFA-242 squadron) was conducted from JS Izumo (DDH 183) in www.fragoutmag.com