According to information published by the US DoD on February 8, 2023, the U.S. Navy, in partnership with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) representatives, awarded an $8.6 million foreign military sale in December 2022 to Raytheon Intelligence & Space for the procurement and delivery of a Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) unit.
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A U.S. Navy Sailor directs a Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 aboard the JMSDF helicopter destroyer JS Izumo. (Picture source: US DoD)
The Naval Air Traffic Management Systems Program Office (PMA-213) worked closely with the vendor and the international customer to leverage existing contract options to bring this cutting-edge technology to the Japanese carrier Izumo.
JPALS, which is a software-based, high-integrity differential GPS navigation and precision landing system, ensures enhanced safety and increased operational capability to equipped aircraft. JPALS enables aircraft to approach and land on ships at sea while operating in all-weather conditions and is integrated on the F-35.
It uses an anti-jam encrypted datalink to communicate between the aircraft and an array of GPS sensors, antennas and shipboard equipment.
JPALS is currently being deployed on all U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. Japan joins the United Kingdom and Italy to procure JPALS, which is currently deployed on the U.K. Royal Navy’s HMS Queen Elizabeth, and the Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour. JPALS is scheduled to be deployed on the JMSDF’s JS Izumo in 2024.
JPALS has been supporting F-35B deployments on U.S. Navy LH-class amphibious assault ships since 2016 and F-35C deployments on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers since 2021.
JS Izumo
JS Izumo (DDH-183) is a multi-purpose operation destroyer and the lead ship of the Izumo class in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan announced its plan to convert the ship into a light aircraft carrier in 2018, which was later confirmed in December of that year as part of a change in the country's defense guidelines.
Conversion works were to proceed in two stages, with the first to strengthen the heat resistance of the deck and install power supply equipment to enable the departure and arrival of the F-35B.
The renovation work to change the bow shape to a quadrangle for the safe operation of the F-35B and the maintenance of the interior compartments are scheduled to be carried out in the second stage.
