[GeronL]

and of course we can all see the Japanese have one, more or less, with the IZUMO. It's a little smaller than the WASP and will be able to carrier F-35 (VTOL) naval variants. I think it shows they CAN build a bigger one.

[NorthMountain]

I think it shows they CAN build a bigger one.

Can and probably will. IZUMO is a classy little ship, but she's only 27000 tons. They have a long way to go.

[tanknetter]

I think it shows they CAN build a bigger one.

Yup, the Japanese are evolving. And signalling. The previous, smaller class of carrier-looking "Helicopter Carrying Destroyers" were named Ise and Hyuga, after two WWII battleships that were converted mid-war into hybrid aircraft carriers.

Izumo's name is interesting. Ostensibly it's named after a turn of the century IJN armored cruiser. But "Izumo (Maru)" was also the original name of a passenger liner that was converted into a carrier (renamed Hiyō) after Midway. That's no coincidence ...