Shirane-class destroyer

Basic information

Type:

Destroyer

Operators:

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Country of build:

Japan

Builder:

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd (IHI Corporation)

Planned:

Completed:

Retired:

In service:

1980 – 2017 (37 years)

Ship measurements

Displacement:

7,620 t

Length:

159 m

Beam:

17.5 m

Machine

Propulsion:

2 * IHI boilers 850 psi (5.9 MPa), 430 °C
2 * turbines
2 * shafts
70,000 shp (52 MW)

Speed:

31 knots

Personnel

Complement:

350

Combat assets

Electronics:

OPS-12 3D Air-search radar
OPS-28 surface-search radar
OQS-101 bow sonar
SQS-35/SQR-18 VDS-TASS
NOLQ-1 integrated suite
OLR-9B RWR
Mark 36 SRBOC

Armament:

Sea Sparrow SAM launcher
ASROC Mk 112 octuple launcher
2 * FMC 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 guns
2 * 20 mm Phalanx CIWS
2 * Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes (Mk-46 torpedoes)

Aircraft:

3 * SH-60J(K) anti-submarine helicopters

The Shirane-class destroyers were a pair of Japanese destroyers originally built during the late 1970s. They are built around a large central hangar which houses up to three helicopters and they are the natural successor of the Haruna-class destroyers.

The Shirane class incorporates an improved design based on the Haruna-class destroyers. The ships propulsion include two steam boilers with two shafts that produce 70.000 hp and gives a maximum speed of 32 knots.

Its armament includes two Mk.42 127mm guns, two 20-mm Phalanx close-in weapon systems, one Surface-to-air RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher, torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets. The ships has been replaced by the new Izumo-class helicopter destroyers.

On December 15, 2007, a fire broke out on board Shirane near the rudder house as it was anchored at Yokosuka. It took seven hours to extinguish the fire, which injured four crew members.

On 27 October 2009, JS Kurama collided with a South Korean container ship under the Kanmonkyo Bridge in the Kanmon Straits off the coast of Japan. While neither ship sunk, the bow of Kurama was badly damaged and burned for hours. Three Kurama crew members were reported injured.