Japan has launched a new flat-top destroyer in Yokohama for anti-submarine warfare and border surveillance missions.
The Izumo has a flight deck of nearly 250 metres and can reportedly carry more than nine helicopters.
The BBC reports it is the largest warship Japan has built since World War II.
Japan and China are currently locked in a dispute over several small islands located between southern Japan and Taiwan.
The BBC reports vessels from both countries have been conducting patrols around the islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyutai in China.
Technically the Izumo is a destroyer, but some experts believe the new ship could potentially be used to launch fighter jets or other aircraft that have the ability to take off vertically.
