An advanced United States fighter jet has completed trials with a Japanese helicopter carrier undergoing conversion into a light aircraft carrier, it was announced on Thursday.
The Japanese navy, officially known as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that JS Kaga, one of its two Izumo-class helicopter-carrying destroyers, has successfully completed onboard trials with the F-35B Lightning II stealth aircraft.
Captain Shusaku Takeuchi, commanding officer of the Kaga, said the trials improved Japan-U.S. interoperability and strengthened deterrence and response capabilities,