The Maritime Self-Defense Force on March 25 officially commissioned the largest ship in its fleet, Izumo, a massive destroyer that gives it the capability of detecting highly advanced Chinese submarines.
The Izumo measures 248 meters in length, leading some, including media in China and South Korea, to describe it as a "semi-aircraft carrier." It is 51 meters longer than the destroyer Hyuga, which was the largest ship in the MSDF fleet until now. Jane's Fighting Ships, a respected reference book on the world's warships released annually in Britain, describes the Izumo as a helicopter carrier. |