this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2025
64 points (98.5% liked)

World News

41142 readers
5071 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The Maritime Self-Defense Force is upgrading its Izumo and Kaga destroyers into de facto aircraft carriers, equipping them to operate the F-35B stealth fighter, which features short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.

Performance tests conducted in October and November last year, with cooperation from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, confirmed that the upgraded Kaga can accommodate the F-35B without issue.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Olap 0 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Aircraft carriers have been useful about once since 1945. The Falklands. A war fought in the middle of nowhere about a tiny island that nobody really needs. The last colonial battle. Every other conflict has been better served from ground bases. The gulf wars could easily have been served almost exclusively from Cyprus for instance.

So usefulness: not so much, mostly offensive

Costs: exorbitant. Massive issues with the most recent pair in the UK. And don't buy Japanese (or anyone else's) exceptionalism. These things are money pits in hardware, manpower, training, testing, supplying, fueling, maintenance, and repairs.

Modern day defence capabilities: almost fuck all. No anti missile defences, no anti AUV, anti-submarine is usually a heli on board. With glide bombs being de jure primary weapons currently and them having a range of approximately 70Km. Combined with the threat of hypersonic missiles. Usually housing vast quantities of marines too.

These things are massive white elephants, obvious targets, expensive to boot. Why the fuck would you convert a destroyer? (Even one as obviously not a destroyer)

[–] PiousAgnostic 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's almost like the people who made these decisions don't agree with your esteemed analysis.