A U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jet has successfully landed on Japan¡¯s Kaga helicopter carrier for the first time, as part of moves to turn the Kaga and its sister ship, the Izumo, into full-fledged aircraft carriers.
A test pilot flying a specially instrumented F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the advanced aircraft touched down Sunday afternoon off the southern coast of California, the Maritime Self-Defense Force and U.S. Navy¡¯s 7th Fleet said Monday.
Working with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the MSDF is conducting tests to determine if there are issues with F-35Bs taking off from the Japanese vessel, while also verifying procedures for storing the aircraft in its hangar, as well as taxiing, fueling and its maintenance.
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