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| Izumo class helicopter destroyer (Wiki Info - File Photo) |
There was a time within the memory of living Americans that the announcement of a new flattop being launched by the Japanese would have been greeted with anger.
When Americans were locked in a death struggle with the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific, news that a large naval vessel was on the way would have only meant more U.S. sailors would be in danger.
The world has truly come full circle when the announcement that Japan will be launching its largest warship since WWII is good news among Americans who still place value on the thought of a free world guaranteed by the United States and its allies.
According to The Associated Press, the new vessel is named Izumo — after the mythical location where the gods landed in Japanese mythology — and features a flat deck that bears a remarkable resemblance to that of an aircraft carrier. That deck is 820 feet long and will hold 14 helicopters, or, one assumes, a like number of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
The Japanese say the ship is to be a part of the nation’s anti-submarine warfare and border surveillance efforts.
While Americans don’t have a problem with the new Japanese vessel, China is not pleased.
Read the full story at China Defense MashUp