Some Japanese officials and former senior Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) officers have pointed out that the conversion of the two Izumo-class helicopter destroyers into fixed-wing aircraft carriers is not practical from an operational point of view.
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Kaijō Jieitai （海上自衛隊 / Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force） [CC BY 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
They pointed out that the fleet needs three ships to be effective in combat. One for deployment, another for training while the third undergo maintenance. Currently, there are no plans to build a third ship.
Toshiyuki Ito, a retired MSDF vice admiral, added that with only 10 F-35Bs aboard, the ships cannot provide effective air defense coverage for the fleet. He urged the ministry to consider building more warships that require fewer crew instead.
Retired Vice Adm. Yoji Koda’s view was that the Defense Ministry made the decision without making sufficient detailed combat simulations.
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