On April 16 this year, the American website "The Warzone" gave a brief evaluation of the "family photo" of aircraft on the Fujian ship.
Subsequently, the American USNI website reported that Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force is about to deploy two "Izumo"-class carriers for multiple military exercises and visits to several countries, with an expected deployment period of over six months.
As the stage achievements of the aircraft carrier development in China and Japan become apparent, South Korea is also starting to feel the urgency.
The modification of Japan's "Izumo"-class carriers puts pressure on South Korea.
Among the three East Asian countries, it is not clear who developed aircraft carriers first, but in fact, South Korea was the first to possess one.
In 1991, the Russian Navy inherited all the aircraft carriers of the Soviet Navy and soon sold most of them as scrap metal.
The first batch of two "Moscow"-class helicopter carriers was bought by India, and the second batch of two "Kiev"-class carriers was acquired by South Korea.
In 1996, while domestic attention was focused on the "Varyag," two medium-sized carriers equipped with Yak-38 aircraft had already arrived in South Korea.
Despite numerous speculations at the time that South Korea would modify the "Kiev" for active service, South Korea ultimately did not achieve this goal.
The "Kiev"-class carriers were equipped with Yak-38 aircraft.
The 1997 Asian financial crisis interrupted South Korea's aircraft carrier dreams.
One of the two "Kiev"-class carriers was eventually dismantled to gain design experience, while the other was sold to China, initially serving as a theme park in Shenzhen before being moved to Nantong.
However, the South Korean Navy did not abandon its grand goal of building a blue-water navy, subsequently commissioning large equipment such as 10,000-ton destroyers and 19,000-ton amphibious assault ships.
Although the South Korean Navy faced setbacks in 2012, forcing it to refocus on coastal waters, in recent years, new generations of 10,000-ton destroyers and conventional submarines have emerged, and there have been high-profile displays of aircraft carrier development plans, but there has been no substantial progress so far.
The "Minsk" aircraft carrier now stationed in Nantong.
In contrast, although the Chinese Navy acquired an aircraft carrier later, it had clear goals, invested substantial resources, and with the rapid development of the shipbuilding industry in the new century, achieved significant results in just over a decade.
China quickly became the world's second-largest aircraft carrier power through a three-step process: modifying the Liaoning, imitating the Shandong, and innovating with the Fujian.
Especially the Fujian, launched ten years after the Liaoning's commissioning, has a mature design and can be quickly commissioned after sea trials and navy acceptance.
The Fujian represents a watershed in the development of domestic aircraft carriers.
In the 1990s, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force equipped with "Osumi"-class amphibious transport ships, which were the first to have full-deck warships, seen as an attempt to break through aircraft carrier limitations.
In December 2018, after the Shandong began sea trials, Japan made a substantial breakthrough, starting the modification of the two "Izumo" ships and purchasing F-35Bs from the United States for carrier-based aircraft.
To avoid violating the rule of "owning offensive aircraft carriers," Japan called the 27,000-ton "Izumo" a "destroyer," and the U.S. Navy created a new ship type for this—Big Decks.
In any case, Japan has begun to accumulate experience in carrier modifications, and after completing the first phase of modifications in October 2021, the "Izumo" has become very active, frequently participating in military exercises.
The modification of two light aircraft carriers is expected to be completed by 2030.
The "Kaga," after completing its first phase of modifications in April this year, received similar treatment and plans to test the F-35B in the United States (the "Izumo" has already conducted similar tests in Japan).
The "Izumo" is expected to undergo a second phase of internal modifications next year, followed by the "Kaga."
Overall, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is currently in the early stages of aircraft carrier modifications and will not have combat-ready carriers until at least 2030.
However, there is a clear gap between a 30,000-ton vertical take-off and landing carrier and an 80,000-ton electromagnetic catapult carrier.
If the United States permits, Japan may directly build a real aircraft carrier; otherwise, it may fall into a standstill like South Korea, waiting for the next opportunity to develop.
Equipping the F-35B is the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's expectation for the "Izumo."
China, Japan, and South Korea almost simultaneously started developing aircraft carriers in the 1990s, but the current results are vastly different.
The "occupation restrictions" are vividly evident at this moment.
If not for these restrictions, given the economic strength and shipbuilding capabilities of Japan and South Korea, their aircraft carrier development might not be as advanced as China's, but they wouldn't be lagging far behind India.
This makes one more deeply aware of the value of "independent self-reliance" and the significance of the enormous sacrifices made domestically for it.
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