LDP Calls for Multipurpose Aircraft “Mother Ship”

May 27, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday set proposals that the government introduce a multipurpose "mother ship" enabling takeoffs and landings by fighter jets.

The LDP also called on the government to increase its defense budget from around one pct of the country's gross domestic product to a level similar to the 2 pct target of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The party plans to submit the proposals to the government by the end of this month at the earliest, hoping that they will be reflected in the country's defense program guidelines and medium-term defense program to be revised at year-end.

In an outline of the proposals released in March, the LDP termed the envisioned ship a multipurpose defensive aircraft carrier. As some LDP members opposed using the name, the final proposals call it a mother ship.

The envisaged ship should be used when an onshore runway is unusable, the proposals said, adding the vessel would be also good for use as a base for disaster relief operations.

With the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Izumo destroyer in mind, the LDP said that Japan should introduce a mother ship for aircraft early, possibly by upgrading an existing vessel.

The party also asked the government to procure from the United States cutting-edge F-35B stealth fighters capable of conducting short takeoffs and vertical landings.

The LDP also wants the government to consider acquiring the capability to attack enemy bases. Jiji Press