Hyuuga-class Helicopter Destroyer

The Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer (ひゅうが型護衛艦 Hyūga-gata-goei-kan) is a type of helicopter carrier built for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Two ships of the class were built to replace the two 7,000-ton Haruna-class helicopter destroyers. The new ships are the largest combatant ship operated by Japan since the Imperial Japanese Navy was superseded by the JMSDF. The first ship in the class, Hyūga, was commissioned on March 18th, 2009 and stationed in Yokosuka, near Tokyo. The second ship Ise went into service on March 16th, 2011 and is stationed at Kure.

The Hyūga-class' specifications are comparable to light aircraft carriers, such as Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi and Spanish Príncipe de Asturias. Under the JMSDF's naming conventions, the ships are called Goei-kan (護衛艦, lit. escort ship) in Japanese and destroyer in English, as same as all the other combatant ships of JMSDF.

The Hyūga 's code-name (16DDH) and Ise 's code-name (18DDH) derive from the Japanese calendar, specifically the 16th year and 18th year of the Heisei reign (2004 and 2006), when the provisional title was given.

Specifications

 * Type: Helicopter Destroyer (Hull designation symbol DDH)
 * Service Period: 2009-Present
 * Characteristics:
 * Length: 646 feet (196.9 meters)
 * Beam: 108 feet (32.92 meters)
 * Draft: 23 feet (7.01 meters)
 * Displacement: 13,950 tons (Standard); 19,000 tons (Full Load)
 * Crew: 360 (Hyuuga); 371 (Ise)
 * Propulsion: COGAG, 4 IHI/GE LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts with 5 bladed CP props, 100,000 shp
 * Range:
 * Speed: 30 knots (55.56 km/h)
 * Sensor Suite:
 * FCS-3 Anti-Air Warfare System
 * OYQ-10 Advanced Combat Direction System
 * OPS-20C Surface Search Radar
 * OQQ-21 ASW System
 * Countermeasures:
 * NOLQ-3C EW system
 * Mk.36 SBROC x 6
 * torpedo decoys x 2
 * Armament:
 * 1 x 16-cell Mk.41 mod 22 VLS (fires RUM-139 VL-ASROC and RIM-162 ESSM)
 * 2 x 12" HOS-303 triple torpedo tubes
 * 2 x 20mm/70-caliber Phalanx CIWS
 * 8 x 12.7mm machine guns
 * Aircraft Carried: Up to eleven maritime helicopters

Unit Run

 * JS Hyuuga (DDH-181)
 * JS Ise (DDH-182)