Japan joins elite aircraft carrier club

LONDON - Japan has been formally classified for the first time since World War II as an aircraft-carrier power by a leading Western international affairs think tank.

Japan has one Hyuga-class aircraft carrier, according to Military Balance 2011, an annual report published on Tuesday by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) assessing the military capabilities and defense economics of 170 countries worldwide.

The annual report is an essential resource for those involved in security policymaking, analysis and research.