Navy BAE Systems Eager To Share Aircraft Carrier Know-How With Japan

[Gary]

On October 12, 2021, BAE Systems held a press conference for the Japanese media, where they announced the establishment of a local corporation in Japan. The establishment of this corporation is expected to take place by the end of this year or early next year. The press conference focused for the most part on the company's role in the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers program and the integration of F-35 on the aircraft carriers...​

Yoshihiro Inaba 02 Nov 2021

Thomas Reich, Vice President and General Manager of BAE International Japan, explained that there were two reasons for the establishment of the Japanese corporation.


One is that defense cooperation between Japan and the UK has recently been greatly strengthened. In accordance with the policy of multilateral security cooperation promoted by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Japanese government has strengthened cooperation with countries in addition to the United States. One such country is the United Kingdom, and recent developments include the port call of Britain’s newest aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth, to the Yokosuka Naval Base in September 2021, followed by a telephone conference between the Foreign Ministers of Japan and the United Kingdom.


In addition, the UK’s “Global Britain” following its exit from the EU, and the strengthening of the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region based on this, is also encouraging this trend. And since BAE, as the largest defense company based in the UK, supports these UK government policies, they are both aiming to strengthen their cooperative relationship with Japan.


Another reason is the view towards Japan held by BAE. Currently, BAE is positioning Japan as a strategic global market, along with India. And the direction that Japan is currently taking to strengthen its defense capabilities in terms of space, cyber, electronic warfare, and AI technology is a good match for BAE’s capabilities. Therefore, they have decided that now is the best time to strengthen cooperation with Japan.


This local corporation does not seem to be planning to manufacture any equipment for the time being, but will be in charge of all the products that BAE handles, and will not only export them, but will also cooperate with Japanese companies through licensed production and joint ventures. They are also interested in developing new technologies.

Izumo-class successor?​

A USMC F-35B Aircraft takes off from Japan’s Helicopter Carrier JS Izumo. JMSDF picture.

At this press conference, BAE’s involvement in the Queen Elizabeth-class was also explained. Therefore, the possibility of cooperation by BAE on aircraft carriers that Japan may have in the future could be considered.


On October 3, two F-35Bs from the U.S. Marine Corps conducted a launch and landing test on the Izumo, one of the largest ships in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). When I asked Thomas Reich if BAE was involved in any way with this test, I received the following answer:

“We were delighted to see the successful trials on board JS Izumo recently, particularly as the ability to conduct joint operations was also a key design feature of QEC. Although not directly involved in this recent set of trials, we hope that our integration knowledge and experience could be beneficial to Japan.”

click to enlarge

It is said that the Izumo-class was designed to carry the F-35B from the beginning of its building, but even so, operating the F-35B will involve many difficulties. Therefore, if JMSDF intends to build a genuine aircraft carrier or an LHD in the future, it will certainly make use of the operational data and experience of the F-35B that will be collected from the Izumo class, but it will also be able to utilize the technology and experience that BAE has developed with the Queen Elizabeth-class.

BAE Systems Eager to Share Aircraft Carrier Know-How with Japan - Naval News

On October 12, 2021, BAE Systems held a press conference for the Japanese media, where they announced the establishment of a local corporation in Japan. The establishment of this corporation is expected to take place by the end of this year or early next year. The press conference focused for...

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[Gary]

There are hint that the JMSDF are pursuing more aircraft carrier in the future, would likely be somewhat larger than the current Izumo. Equipped from the very start with F-35B's

@Nilgiri

'Lightning Carriers' Could Be Lightweights in an Asian War - War on the Rocks

Earlier this month, U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighters embarked on the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force ship JS Izumo as a capability

warontherocks.com

This lightning carriers would serve as a more survivable moving airbase just in case a saturation attack cripple or damage the JASD airfield.

interestingly this would signal a determined US+JP commitment to outdo PLAN in the carrier numbers game in the Pacific.

 

[RogerRanger]

A couple QE class would great for Japan and they would be fairly cheap too, not more than 3 billion USD each. So if I was Japan I would just build them. That way the match anything the Chinese or South Koreans or Russians are building. They already have the escort ships, just need more replenishment ships. The F-35 costs are coming down and will continue to come down as well. I don't agree with the global Britain strategy, I wrote to the foreign office about it today, I think goes against British geo-political realities and leaves us unbalanced, when we need all our ships and energy in and around the UK to deal with the geo-political friction from leaving the EU and the UK reasserting itself as a regional European power. However this makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[Gary]

when we need all our ships and energy in and around the UK to deal with the geo-political friction from leaving the EU and the UK reasserting itself as a regional European power. However this makes a lot of sense to me.

The RN being able to secure the Atlantic and in particular the GIUK gap would itself be a great help to its ally, the only threat for the US navy if hostilities broke out in the Pacific would likely come from the Russians. The Russian Navy in particular is no longer the formidable navy it used to be in the Soviet times, with 0 operational carrier and increasingly retracting into a littoral navy.

The RN operating near UK's home waters, would allow the US to bolster its Pacific fleet with the additional ships from the Atlantic.