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.
Design
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weapon systems, one surface-to-air RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher, torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets.[1] The ships has been replaced by the new Izumo-class helicopter destroyers.
Ships in the class
| Pennant No | DDH-143 | DDH-144 |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Shirane | Kurama |
| Laid Down | 25 February 1977 | 17 February 1978 |
| Launched | 18 September 1978 | 20 September 1979 |
| Commissioned | 17 March 1980 | 27 March 1981 |
| Decommissioned | 25 March 2015 | 22 March 2017 |
| Home port | Yokosuka | Sasebo |
Operational use
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.[2]
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.[3] While neither ship sunk, the bow of Kurama was badly damaged and burned for hours. Three Kurama crew members were reported injured.[4]
References
- ^ "Shirane Class Helicopter Destroyers (JMSDF) - Naval Technology".
- ^ "Latest Stories". www.dawn.com. December 15, 2007. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ Mari Yamaguchi (2009-10-27). "World Naval Ships Forums - View Single Post - JDS Kurama (DDH-144) Collision". www.worldnavalships.com. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ "CBC News - World - Japanese destroyer collides with Korean ship". cbc.ca. 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
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