Japanese aircrafts carrier? No... destroyer!

In spite of not being allowed to build carrier, Japan
just commissioned its first aircraft carrier since
World War II. Quotes:


The new, helicopter carrying destroyer, the Hyuga, is
a 610 foot long, 18,000 ton warship that operates up
to 11 (mostly SH-60) helicopters from a full length
flight deck.

"Although called a destroyer, it very much looks like
an aircraft carrier. While its primary function is
anti-submarine warfare, the Hyuga will also give Japan
its first real power projection capability since 1945.
The Hyuga is the largest warship built in Japan since
World War II.

The Japanese constitution forbids it to have aircraft
carriers, which is the main reason it is called a
destroyer. That, and the desire to not make the
neighbors anxious. East Asian nations still have bad
memories about the last time Japan had lots of
aircraft carriers. The Hyuga also has 16 Mk41 VLS
(Vertical Launch System) cells for anti-aircraft and
anti-ship missiles.

There are also two 20mm Phalanx anti-missile cannon
and two triple 12.75-inch torpedo mounts. There is a
crew of 350 and a top speed of about 60 kilometers.
Vertical takeoff jets like the Harrier and F-35B could
also operate from the Hyuga. A second Hyuga is under
construction and a third is planned.

The last Japanese warship to be called the Hyuga was a
World War II battleship that entered service in 1918,
and was converted to a hybrid battleship/aircraft
carrier in 1943. The new Hyuga will be used for
peacekeeping missions as well, and for that role its
many helicopters will be most useful."

According to a blogger, "The last time the Japanese
Navy sailed the Hyuga, it was a battleship turned into
an aircraft carrier and was sunk in June 1945 off the
island of Kure by Curtiss Helldivers of VB-87 flying
from USS Ticonderoga."