JS Kurama (DDH-144)

History

In the 1970s, the Japanese government approved the construction of two new warships, forming the Shirane class. JN Shirane (DDH-143) will be the lead ship and JN Kurama (DDH-144) will be her sister. The pommel saw her keel laid on February 17, 1978, and launched on September 20, 1979. The warship was officially commissioned on March 27, 1981.

Although Shirane was retired in March 2015, Kurama is still active in the Japanese fleet today (2017).

In the Japanese navy, these two ships play a dual role, the warship can carry a small pod of three naval helicopters and take on the traditional destroyer role. Three Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters were delivered for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, and the ships are naturally agile, fast, and capable of "blue water" -- useful when patrolling the vast open seas around Japanese islands.

Upon completion, the Kurama will displace 5,300 tonnes under standard load and up to 7,600 tonnes under full load. Dimensions include an overall length of 522 feet, a beam of 57.4 feet and a draft of 17.4 feet. Power comes from 2 x Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) boilers feeding 2 x 70,000hp turbines on 2 x shafts. The propulsion system was inherited from the previous Haruna-class battleships.

Performance includes a maximum sea speed of 31 knots. There are 350 employees on board.

The pommel is largely a product of her Cold War roots - the armor kit is a mix of missiles and conventional projectile weapons. The Sea Sparrow launcher is used to counter air threats, while the Mk 112 unit is an eight-barrel ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) launcher developed as an anti-submarine measure.

The deck guns are 2 x FMC 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 series, with the turret system in positions "1" and "2". Close defense is handled by 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS). 2 triple Mark 32 series torpedo tubes, capable of launching Mk 46 series homing torpedoes.

In addition to the personnel and weapons, the ship is a matter of life and death because of the sensors and processing systems installed. These include the OPS-12 3D air search radar, OPS-28 surface search radar and OQS-101 bow sonar.

Electronic warfare and decoys include the NOLQ-1 system, as well as the OLR-9B (RWR) radar warning receiver and the Mark 36 SRBOC ("Super Rapid Flower Off-Board Countermeasure") - an integrated chaff and decoy launch system.

With her sister now retired, and the use of mixed-weapon warships (especially those with conventional projectile weapons) dwindling year by year, the end of the pommel may also be approaching. The ship's most high-profile action (besides training drills, etc.) was a collision in October 2009 in which the pommel's bow suffered severe physical and fire damage.

There were no casualties in the incident, but repairs were made ahead of scheduled maintenance.

The Shirane-class has been officially replaced by the Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer in the Japanese Navy's inventory.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

AIR WING