 The main Japanese carrier @-@ borne strike aircraft were the D3A1 " Val " dive bomber and the B5N2 " Kate " , which was used either as a torpedo bomber or as a level bomber . The main carrier fighter was the fast and highly maneuverable A6M " Zero " . For a variety of reasons , production of the " Val " had been drastically reduced , while that of the " Kate " had been stopped completely and , as a consequence , there were none available to replace losses . In addition , many of the aircraft being used during the June 1942 operations had been operational since late November 1941 and , although they were well @-@ maintained , many were almost worn out and had become increasingly unreliable . These factors meant all carriers of the Kido Butai had fewer aircraft than their normal complement , with few spare aircraft or parts stored in the carriers ' hangars . 
