Japan studying whether fighter jets can be put on helicopter carrier

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Friday that his ministry is studying whether F-35B fighter jets can be put on a "helicopter carrier," a move that may raise concerns that Japan is backing away from its strictly defense-oriented policy.Under the postwar pacifist Constitution, the government has maintained that it cannot possess "attack aircraft carriers" as they are among what can be deemed as offensive weapons exceeding what is necessary for self-defense. Japan now has flat-topped destroyers that carry helicopters, but not fighter aircraft.Onodera emphasized at a parliamentary committ…READ FULL ARTICLE