BETHESDA, Md. – Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division’s Platform Integrity Department engineers responded to a request from the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Paxtuxent River F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) to support developmental flight trials aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Izumo-class JS Kaga (DDH-184) in early October.

The Carderock team applied technical expertise and provided on-site assistance to ensure the ship was prepared for testing with the U.S. F-35B Lightning II aircraft, playing a critical role in ensuring the safety and success of the sea trials.

The engineers’ work focused on a critical challenge: managing the intense heat generated by the aircraft by determining appropriate hover durations and intervals between vertical landings to allow the flight deck to cool sufficiently. By addressing this issue, the team played a key role in protecting the structural integrity of the ship’s flight deck, enabling the successful completion of the trials.

“Effective testing relies on precise data,” said Jessica McDonald, one of the engineers involved. “Our role was to make sure everything was in place to collect the information needed to evaluate performance safely.”

Originally designed as a helicopter carrier, JS Kaga recently underwent modifications that make it a multi-functional destroyer capable of supporting fixed-wing aircraft, like the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. These changes included new nighttime lighting systems, reshaping the bow and preparing the flight deck for intense heat generated during vertical landings. Carderock’s role focused on ensuring that the flight deck could handle this heat without compromising the ship’s structural integrity.

“During a vertical landing, the F-35B puts out a pretty significant thermal load onto the deck, and in order to maintain structural integrity, we need to time when those F-35B landings can occur,” explained McDonald. “Otherwise, the heat builds up in the structure, leading to structural integrity issues.” By working with the ITF to account for the test-unique hover timing and carefully scheduling landing intervals, engineers were able to mitigate those concerns.

To support the trials, the Carderock team traveled to Naval Base San Diego and worked aboard the JS Kaga. They used specialized equipment to measure temperatures beneath the deck in real time, allowing the team to track heating and cooling patterns. This data helped the ITF optimize landing schedules to protect the flight deck during operations.

This effort was part of a broader collaboration between the U.S. and Japan, showcasing the strength of their defense partnership. This is not the first time the Carderock team has worked with Izumo-class ships.

“We have been supporting the Japanese for F-35B on the JS Izumo and JS Kaga for several years,” McDonald said. “Our team tested for and developed an F-35B thermal design load. We evaluate our own ships for that and provide timing guidance to the fleet. While we typically take a more conservative approach, there’s always an interest to improve operational capability where we can.” By applying their expertise, the Carderock team played a critical role in ensuring the safety and success of the sea trials.

McDonald said that the Carderock team intends to use lessons learned through the trials to improve methods for active thermal monitoring. She explained that these advancements will enable precise, real-time data collection during operations, further enhancing ship-aircraft compatibility and ensuring the long-term safety and efficiency of naval platforms.

“Partnering with the ITF team gave us the opportunity to gain more insight as to how they execute at-sea developmental testing, as well as how trial operations occur,” McDonald said. “It’s really rewarding to see the work we do succeed and be reflected in the news.”

Carderock, the Navy’s innovation and ship design powerhouse, headquartered in West Bethesda, Maryland, is a world-class research and development facility specializing in critical ship design components. Carderock uses state-of-the-art facilities, like the David Taylor Model Basin, to create small-scale models and evaluate next-generation surface ships and underwater vessels, ensuring they are future-proof, agile, and equipped to dominate the maritime environment. Carderock’s focus areas include Platform Integrity, Signatures, and Naval Architecture and Engineering. With teams and facilities across the country, from Florida to Alaska and Idaho to Washington, Carderock is “Where the Fleet Begins,” building the future of the Navy.