The Ise is the second Hyuga class carrier that the Japanese built having laid it down in 2008, launched it in 2009, and commissioned it after outfitting and testing it in 2011.

This carrier and it immediate forerunner, the Hyuga for which the class is named were built specifically to replace the Shirane and the Haruna DDH vessels that truly were half destroyer and half helicopter carrier. The front half of those 7000-8000 ton ships was fit out as a destroyer, and the second half was an extended landing deck for up to three helicopter and then an oversized hanger to carry them.

They would work with other frigates and destroyers specifically to carry out the ASW portion of the US-Japan defense agreement which calls for the JMSDF to patrol the more distant water surrounding US large carrier or amphibious task forces and specifically find and harry potential adversary submarines during peacetime, or to prosecute and sink them during wr.

The US and the JMSDF exercised this all the time and they are very good at it, allowing the US escort vessels the opportunity to cover the areas in the immediate surroundings of their task force out to 20-30 miles.

So, with the Hyugas, the Japanese have built these two much more capable vessels that can each carry 15 or more helicopters and put together a much more capable flotilla around each.

Of course the Japanese then surprised most countries by proceeding from there and building two much larger carriers of the Izumo class.

Those two were 150 feet longer and 20 feet wider and displaced well over 30,000 tons.

I immediately indicated back in 2014-2015 that we had best watch the Japanese Defense proposals for each year and see if any F-35Bs showed up, because if they did, it would mean that the Japanese were planning to respond to the Chinese build up of large carriers with smaller but very capable carriers of their own.

And in 2019 they did just that.

The Japanese will buy 40-60 F-35Bs and add ski-jumps to the DDH-183 Izumo and DDH-184 Kaga to make them carriers with 24-28 F-35Bs on each.

If they go ahead (as I expect they will) and also seek Bell to revive its EV-22 offering of an AEW Osprey, then the Japanese will buy those to give these carriers a very, very good AEW capability. An Osprey, pressurized and carrying an electronic phased array radar, would be able to climb to perhaps 35,000 feet or more and give the aircraft the ability to find and discriminate enemy aircraft and missiles at a range between 350 and 400 miles, which is what they would need for a hope to vestor fighters to down the opposition aircraft before they launch their missiles.

I believe every nation seeking to place the F-35B on their jump jet carriers, and the list is long, should do the same. People from those nations should right now be urging their military people and their elected officials to demand it in fact. There is no use in buying a couple of billion dollars of 5th generation, stealth aircraft for your carrier if you do not intend to buy the types of AEW and ASW aircraft that can best protect it. (BTW, Bell also hav a proposal for a GREAT SV-22 ASW Osprey). Here are the countries the US will be working with along with the number of carriers they each currently have or are planning:

Japan - 2
Korea -2
Australia - 2
India - 3
Italy - 2
Spain - 1
UK - 2

(the Royal Navy has already selected the helo born Crows nest, but if many countries bought the EV-ss, they might well change their mind because the price would drop)

...and while we are at it, we must also include 4-6 US Navy LHA/:HD, meaning the America class and Wasp class ships that might be converted and used at any time with up to 24 F-35Bs.

In addition t the US Navy's ten large nuclear carrier carrying first 10 and eventually up to 24 F-35Cs, the US has plans to be able to outfit the Amphibs ships whenever called for. They have already been practising this with the group in Japan and the other group stationed over near the Arabian Sea.

That's a total of 20-22 carrier new carriers, each with a squadron of 3-4 EV-22s for their carriers and another one for training and maintenance. Meaning a total of up to 160+ EV-22s (More should the Royal Navy come around would push the number up tp near two hundred. This would lower the price and make the aircraft even more affordable and desirable. Same goes with the SV-22 ASW version, which would have a squadron of 4-6 aircraft on each vessel and therefore make those numbers even higher.

This DDH-182 Ise, 1/350 scale model was made by Fujimi and its detail set and the personnel were also made by Fujimi. Altogether a little spendy, but well worth it in the end.

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