Ibuki's conversion points toward the carrier solution

Ibuki began as a heavy-cruiser repeat of the Mogami pattern, with plans for ten 8-inch guns, extensive reconnaissance aviation, hydrophones, and air-search radar. Its conversion to a light carrier amounted to an admission of the value of concentrating on air power. The substantial aviation provision already built into Japanese cruiser thinking made the conceptual step toward a carrier relatively small. The conversion also resembles wartime cruiser-hull carrier projects in other navies. Ibuki was never completed for operations, so this is not a record of successful service. A dedicated carrier could perform reconnaissance more coherently than an 8-inch cruiser trying to scout and support the battle line at once.