Japanese Self Defence Naval Force Guided Missile Destroyers built 1983-86, active until 2021 (DDG-171-172). The The Hatakaze-class were the 3rd generation of guided-missile destroyers in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and with gas-turbine propulsion. They repeated the missile and armament suite of the Tachikaze class, but had improvements in all areas. The most important … Read more
Japanese Self Defence Naval Force General Purpose Guided Missile Destroyers built 1979-86, active until 2021 (DD-123-133). Hatsuyuki, Shirayuki, Mineyuki, Sawayuki, Hamayuki, Isoyuki, Haruyuki, Yamayuki, Matsuyuki, Setoyuki, Asayuki, Shimayuki The Hatsuyuki-class destroyer (はつゆき型護衛艦, Hatsuyuki-gata-goei-kan) were a new class initiated for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) as its first class of first generation of general-purpose vessels. … Read more
Japanese Self Defence Naval Force – JDS Shirane, Sawakaze built 1977-81, active until 2015-17. If there are superstars in the Japanese cold war naval lineage, most would certainly cite the Shirane class. Not only they were pretty unique in design, as the largest airborne carriers in a Navy that was expressely banned from acquiring or … Read more
Japanese Self Defence Naval Force – Escort Destroyer (1966-2005): Yamagumo, Makigumo, Asagumo, Aokumo, Akigumo, Yugumo The Yamagumo class were developed for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force as six ship usually classified as a destroyer, but classed as destroyer escort given their nature, succeeding to the Akizuki class. They were planned as the new generation ASW … Read more
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force: ASW destroyer (1959-93): JDS Akizuki, Teruzuki. Here on naval encyclopedia, were are intended to cover all three Akizuki class destroyer (so far) in Japanese Naval History. The first was the well known “Type B” large AA destroyers of the Pacific war seen earlier this same months. The third are a 2010 … Read more
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force: ASW destroyer (1958-88): JDS Murasame, Yudachi, Harusame The Murasame (there was a class of the same name in the 1990s) were the successor to the Ayanami-class destroyers. They were less specialized in anti-submarine warfare, but more A/AS because of their heavy artillery, and thus they were the first classified unofficially as … Read more
