The Maritime Self-Defense Force is upgrading its Izumo and Kaga destroyers into de facto aircraft carriers, equipping them to operate the F-35B stealth fighter, which features short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.
Performance tests conducted in October and November last year, with cooperation from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, confirmed that the upgraded Kaga can accommodate the F-35B without issue.
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)
It’s almost like the people who made these decisions don’t agree with your esteemed analysis.
https://onukdefence.co.uk/military-capability/are-uk-aircraft-carriers-vital-or-white-elephants/ - ain’t just my analysis!