As part of its deployment to the Indo-Pacific under Operation Highmast, F-35B Lightning II fighters from the embarked air group of the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales will carry out a series of activities alongside the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga (DDH-184) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The maneuvers, taking place in the waters of the Philippine Sea, include cross-deck operations between both vessels—relevant in the context of Japan’s incorporation of its first F-35Bs and their future deployment from the Izumo-class ships. Later on, part of the British group will head to South Korea, while another part—including the HMS Prince of Wales (R09)—will sail toward Japan for a port call and official visit.
The multinational task group, led by the second of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, is currently carrying out its largest and most important deployment of the year, under the name Operation Highmast. This deployment has included various port calls across the Pacific, the most recent being in Australia, within the framework of the multinational exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. Following that, the British carrier departed around July 30 toward Japan to continue the next phase.
In this context, the activities to be carried out in the coming days will focus on combined air operations involving stealth F-35B fighters. Specifically, it is expected that these fighters—with short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) capabilities—embarked on the Prince of Wales and assigned to RAF’s No. 617 Squadron (“Dambusters”) and the Royal Navy’s 809 Naval Air Squadron, will perform cross-deck operations from the JS Kaga.
It is important to mention that just a few days ago Japan received its first four F-35B fighters, which are part of a future fleet of 42 units. Acquired in 2019 and delivered after delays, their incorporation aims to operate them aboard the Izumo-class helicopter carriers—the JS Kaga and JS Izumo (DDH-183)—which are currently undergoing conversion to operate as light aircraft carriers.
It is worth noting that in the final months of 2024, the JS Kaga (DDH-184) was sent to the United States to evaluate its capabilities for operating stealth fighters. During this phase, the ship operated for the first time with F-35Bs from the U.S. Armed Forces as part of a series of crucial tests that prepared the vessel to operate STOVL aircraft.
However, this was the second time such a fighter was deployed from this class of ship, the most recent previous precedent being in 2021, when similar trials were conducted aboard the JS Izumo. The ship is scheduled to undergo a second phase of conversion in fiscal year 2026, expected to be completed in fiscal year 2028.
Finally, these new combined air operations represent a decisive step for Japan in its path toward developing a fully embarked capability with fifth-generation fighters. The participation of the JS Kaga in activities with British F-35Bs will not only validate interoperability procedures with strategic allies such as the United Kingdom and the United States, but also strengthen the operational integration process of its own F-35Bs into the maritime domain. The exercises serve as a prelude to future Japanese carrier operations, consolidating the transformation of the Izumo-class ships and enhancing the projection of Japanese naval aviation capabilities in the region.
*Photographs used for illustrative purposes only
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