U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Deanna C. Gonzales
One of Japan’s two new aircraft carriers will travel to the U.S. in 2024.
The ships are Japan’s first real aircraft carriers since World War II.
Japan was once the world leader in carriers, but swore them off after the disastrous war.
More than 80 years after Pearl Harbor, a Japanese aircraft carrier is scheduled to make a visit to the East Coast of the United States—this time, as one of America’s strongest allies.
The visit, set for 2024, will see one of the country’s two new carriers, Kaga or Izumo, validate its compatibility with American F-35 fighter jets. They’ll become the first Japanese carriers since the end of WWII, part of a long-planned naval expansion meant to keep pace with a growing Chinese navy.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
East Coast Visit
An F-35B from Marine Corps Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) flies to the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier in the Western Atlantic, October 11, 2023.
US Navy photo by Dane Wiedmann
The compatibility tests will take place with the U.S. Marine Corps on the East Coast; they’re meant to confirm that the ship can operate the F-35B, the vertical takeoff and landing version of the F-35 Lightning II. The F-35B is a one of three versions of the F-35 and was designed to operate either from ground bases with minimal runways or aircraft carrier-type ships that lack catapults for launching aircraft.
In 1962, the cruiser was upgraded to carry the RIM-2 Terrier missile system, which replaced the three rear turrets.
De Zeven Provinciën in 1956
De kruiser Hr.Ms. De Zeven Provinciën
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën was a De Zeven Provinciën-classcruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Laid down in 1939, construction was interrupted by World War II and the ship was only commissioned in 1953 with the identification number C802. She served until 1976 when she was purchased by Peru and renamed Aguirre. With the Peruvian Navy she served until 1999 and was scrapped in 2000.
Mistral began sea trials in January 2005, and was commissioned in February 2006. She departed from Toulon for her first long-range journey in March, sailing through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, and the Red Sea to Djibouti and India, before returning to France. In July, to ensure the safety of European citizens in the context of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, France set up Opération Baliste. Mistral was the flagship of the fleet unit off Lebanon, escorted by the frigates Jean Bart and Jean de Vienne, and along with another amphibious assault ship, Siroco.
On 16 May 2008, the Burmese United Nations (UN) ambassador accused France of deploying Mistral to the Burmese coast for military purposes. The French UN ambassador denied this, stating that she was instead carrying 1,500 tons of relief supplies.[1]
In March 2011 Mistral was deployed to Libyan waters to help aid the joint NATO effort to repatriate tens of thousands of Egyptian refugees fleeing the violence in Libya.[2]
This image of a Christmas card from a glass plate negative produced between 1904 and 1905 shows the Royal Navy’s steel steam sloop HMS ‘Torch’ and the armoured cruiser HMS ‘Euryalus’ at moorings in Farm Cove, Sydney Harbour. HMS ‘Torch’ (in the foreground) was built in 1894 and served on the Australia Station from 1897 until sold in 1913. Alongside her is the small steam work boat of M S Bird & Co. ship providores. She is delivering stores which can be seen towards the bow of the steamer. ‘Torch’ was rated at 960 tons and carried six quick firing 4 inch (100mm) guns at up to 13 knots.
HMS ‘Euryalus’ was built in 1904 and was flagship of the Australia Station between 1904 and 1905 until relieved by the larger HMS ‘Powerful.’ In this image the after funnel of ‘Euryalus’ is smoking, suggesting that she too is preparing to sail. ‘Euryalus’ served until the end of WW1 and was scrapped in 1920. Graeme Andrews OAM, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences volunteer under the supervision of Margaret Simpson, Curator, September 2015
HMS Phoebe (F42) was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy (RN).
The British Leander-class frigate HMS Phoebe (F42) coming into Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia (USA), on 19 January 1990. Note the Westland Lynx helicopter aft.
The large U.S Navy harbour tug USS Marinette (YTB-791) comes about to escort the British Leander-class frigate HMS Phoebe (F42) into Naval Station, Norfolk, Virginia (USA), on 19 January 1990. Note the Westland Lynx helicopter aft.
In the year of her commission, Phoebe assisted in the emotionally charged withdrawal from Aden in 1967. In 1969, Phoebe took part in the 20th Anniversary of NATOFleet Review held at Spithead.
In February 1970, Phoebe undertook a 10-month overseas deployment, which included three assignments to the Beira Patrol off Mozambique in an attempt to stop the supply of oil to Rhodesia in contravention of an oil embargo.[9] In April 1970, Phoebe left her Mozambique patrol to assist in the Indian Ocean as part of an Apollo 13 splashdown secondary task force.[10][11][12] In 1971, Phoebe deployed to the West Indies. That same year, Phoebe was guard ship during talks between British Prime MinisterEdward Heath and U.S. PresidentRichard Nixon. She suffered minor damage when the frigate Berwick collided with her whilst attempting to leave Portsmouth Harbour during the first week in November 1971.[13] In 1973, Phoebe took part in the Second Cod War, during the fishing disputes with Iceland.
Between 1973 and 1977 Phoebe was used for the filming of the popular WarshipBBC drama, set on board the fictional HMS Hero.
In 1974, Phoebe commenced her modernisation, which including altering her weapons configuration. Her single 4.5-inch twin turret was removed in favour of the Exocet anti-ship missile system, giving her a powerful anti-surface capability. The number of SeaCat missiles she carried was increased. The modernisation was completed in 1977. She subsequently took part in the Silver Jubilee celebrations and Fleet Review, at which many warships attended from a variety of nations.[14]
During late 1977 and early 1978, Phoebe led a task force on active service to the South Atlantic (Falklands) in company with HMS Alacrity, HMS Dreadnought and RFA’s Resurgent and Olwen calling at Funchal, Madeira before returning home.
HMS Phoebe in 1990
In 1978, Phoebe patrolled in the Caribbean and subsequently joined Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT), a multi-national squadron of NATO in company with USS Pharris, the German frigate Emden, HMCS Okanagan and the Dutch frigate Tjerk Hiddes. In that year, Phoebe had the distinction of becoming the first frigate to operate the Westland Lynx attack helicopter aka ‘Phelix’, which remains in service, though obviously of a newer variant.In February 1981, Phoebe was refitted with Towed array sonar type 2031.[12]
In September 1982, Phoebe deployed to the South Atlantic in the aftermath of the Falklands War, and performed a number of duties, though mainly patrolling in that region. In 1984, Phoebe completed her towed array sonar refit. In 1988, Phoebe again served under Standing Naval Force Atlantic and took part in the rescue effort in the tragic aftermath of the Piper Alpha oil rig explosion in the North Sea, which killed 167 people. Phoebe decommissioned in 1991 and was sold for scrap the following year. Some of her notable Commanding Officers include P E C Berger, G I Pritchard, Hugh Balfour and Jonathon Band.
Early in the morning of 28th April 1814, HMS Epervier and her convoy were sighted by the USS Peacock. The USS Peacock, although brig-rigged like HMS Epervier, was significantly bigger and was more powerfully armed. USS Peacock was half as large again as HMS Epervier and mounted a total of 22 guns as opposed to the 18 on the British vessel and 20 of those guns were 32pdr carronades. At 10:20 in the morning, both vessels opened fire, aiming high in attempts to bring down the others rigging. The American ship received only slight damage, but HMS Epervier lost her main topmast. After that, the American ship shifted her aim and began firing into HMS Epervier’s hull. This had the desired effect and HMS Epervier’s fire fell away. After 40 minutes, HMS Epervier’s hull was peppered with 45 shot-holes and she had taken on 5 feet of water in her hold. As the vessels drew towards each other, Commander Wales ordered boarding parties to muster, intending to board the American and fight it out at close range, hand-to-hand. At that point, his fears were horribly realised as his crew refused to fight, laid down their arms and struck their colours, surrendering to the enemy.
HMS Epervier vs USS Peacock
The Americans put a prize crew into HMS Epervier and they had the ship ready to go again within an hour. After a brief encounter with a pair of British frigates which they successfully evaded, both vessels arrived in Savannah, Georgia a few days later. The vessel was repaired there and was commissioned into the US Navy as the USS Epervier.
Commander Wales was repatriated after the cessation of hostilities and on 20th January 1815 faced the customary Court Martial for the loss of his command. He stated in his evidence that he had previously reported unrest and disaffection amongst his crew and that several of his carronades had been dismounted by fire from the enemy vessel or had fallen off their slides in the opening broadside of the engagement. Because of the unrest amongst the crew, Commander Wales had been unable to carry out gunnery practice which would have revealed faults in the gun-mounts. The Court Martial also revealed that the replacements the ship had received at Port Royal had mostly been composed of invalids from the hospital there and that the vessel had the worst crew of any vessel on the Halifax Station. Not surprising then that they had failed in their duty to fight to their utmost. During the engagement, HMS Epervier suffered 8 dead and 15 wounded and had suffered extensive damage.
Once taken into American service, the now-USS Epervier was sent to join the American squadron under Commodore Stephen Decatur which was in the Mediterranean attempting to prevent harrassment of American shipping by the Dey of Algiers. On 17th June 1815 in company with the heavy frigates USS Guerriere, USS Constellation and the sloop-of-war USS Ontario, USS Epervier captured the 44 gun frigate Mashuda in the Battle of Cape Gata. In that action, USS Epervier fired 9 full broadsides into the Algerian ship after the USS Guerriere had dismasted it. On 19th June, she captured the Algerian brig Estedio of 22 guns in the Battle of Cape Palos.
These defeats forced the Dey to sue for peace with the Americans. Commodore Decatur chose the USS Epervier to carry the news, a copy of the peace treaty and spoils of war back to the United States. On 14th July 1815, USS Epervier was reported passing through the Straits of Gibraltar and was never seen or heard from again. It is thought that she foundered in a hurricane reported in the Atlantic during August of 1815. Whatever the case, no survivors were found from the 134 people aboard when she departed.
131001-N-WX059-022 PEARL HARBOR (Oct. 1, 2013) The guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) returns to its homeport at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sean Furey/Released)
Chung-Hoon was named in honor of Rear Admiral Gordon Pai’ea Chung-Hoon (1910–1979), recipient of the Navy Cross and the Silver Star.
The contract to build her was awarded to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems on 6 March 1998, and her keel was laid down on 14 January 2002, at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Incorporated. She was launched on 11 January 2003, sponsored by Michelle Punana Chung-Hoon of Honolulu, Hawaii, Chung-Hoon’s niece, and commissioned on 18 September 2004.[1]
She is part of the Pacific Fleet and homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
