Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

DSEI Japan 2023
  • News
  • Event News
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
    • Sea Air Space 2022
    • DIMDEX 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» News»Japan Commissions New Maya-class AEGIS Destroyer JS Haguro はぐろ DDG-180
Japan Commissions New Maya-class AEGIS Destroyer JS Haguro はぐろ DDG-180
JMSDF AEGIS Destroyer JS Haguro, following her commissioning ceremony at JMU shipyard. Picture by Japanese photographer やん/やん @nvyan81

Japan Commissions New Maya-class AEGIS Destroyer JS Haguro はぐろ DDG-180

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned today its second and final Maya-class AEGIS Destroyer at Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) Isogo shipyard in Yokohama. JS Haguro はぐろ (DDG-180) joins the JMSDF’s Escort Flotilla 4, based in Sasebo.

Xavier Vavasseur 19 Mar 2021

JS Haguro is the second and final vessel of the Maya-class of destroyers. It is also the eighth Aegis destroyer of the JMSDF. Her keel was laid in January 2018 and she was launched on July 17th 2019. First ship-in-class, DDG-179 JS Maya was commissioned on March 19 2020. The new class of destroyers comes with ballistic missile defense (BMD) capabilities. Each unit costs around US$1,5Bn and were being built at the JMU’s shipyard at Isogo Ward in Yokohama.

The Maya-class will be limited to just two ships. The next Japanese vessels to feature Aegis are the still unspecified “Aegis equipped ships” that will likely be ordered as a consequence to the cancelation of Aegis Ashore.

19 MAR, the JMSDF held the Ship Commissioning ceremony of the JS HAGURO at Yokohama Shipyard, Japan Marine United Corporation. She is named after Mt. Haguro of Yamagata Prefecture.#HAGURO #FOIP # pic.twitter.com/jqLWQucLwW

— Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (@jmsdf_pao_eng) March 19, 2021

Like her sister-ship, the vessel is named after a mountain: Mount Haguro (羽黒山 Haguro-san). The previous vessel to bear this name was the famous heavy cruiser Haguro of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Commissioned in 1929, Haguro saw significant service during World War II, participating in nine naval engagements. She was sunk in 1945 during a fight with Royal Navy destroyers, one of the last major Japanese warships to be sunk in open waters during World War II.

Contrary to JS Maya (picture below) Haguro’s hull number is painted in low visibility.

About Maya-class

By Yoshihiro Inaba and Xavier Vavasseur

JS Maya DDG
JS Maya. JMSDF picture.

Originally known as 27DDG (This means that she was built in the FY2015 budget.), this new project of improved Aegis destroyers started in 2015. The new destroyer class is 170 meters long and displaces 8200 tons. She operates with a crew of 310 sailors, and features a COmbined Gas turbine-eLectric And Gas turbine (COGLAG) propulsion system.

This new destroyer class will be limited to two units named after famous mountains in Japan: The first ship-in-class, JS Maya まや (DDG-179), had its keel laid in April 2017, was launched on July 30th 2018 and commissioned with the JMSDF on 19 March this year. Its sistership, JS Haguro はぐろ(DDG-180) had its keel laid in January 2018, was launched on July 17th 2019 and commissioned in March 2021.

Each ship costs around US$1,5Bn and both were being built at the Japan Marine United (JMU) shipyard at Isogo Ward in Yokohama. The Maya-class is the first of JMSDF’s Aegis destroyers fitted with ballistic missile defense (BMD) capabilities from the design stage, and is also the first of Japan’s AEGIS fleet to be equipped with Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) from the start. The CEC allows the ship to receive targeting information from other assets, such as US Navy and Royal Australian Navy AEGIS destroyers or American and Japanese E-2D AEW&C aircraft. Japan has four E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft on order, with the first one delivered on March 29 to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

Maya-class weapon and sensor systems

JMSDF AEGIS Destroyer JS Haguro, during her transit to Sasebo naval base following her commissioning at JMU shipyard. Picture by Japanese photographer やん/やん @nvyan81

Fitted with the AEGIS Baseline J7 combat system, the AN/SPY-1D(V) passive electronically scanned array radar and the AN/SPQ-9B surface search radar, the Maya-class destroyers is able to fire the latest iteration of Raytheon’s SM-3 ballistic defense missile. Being jointly developed by the U.S. and Japan, the SM-3 Block IIA features larger rocket motors that will allow it to defend broader areas from ballistic missile threats and a larger kinetic warhead.

The Maya-class features 96 cells of Mk41 VLS (64 cells forward and 32 cells aft). Other weapon systems of the Maya-class include:

  • SM-6 also known as RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM)
  • SM-2MR Block IIIB Surface to Air Missiles
  • Type 07 Vertical Launch Anti-submarine rocket
  • Type 90/17 anti-ship missiles
  • Mk 45 Mod 4 127mm main gun
  • 2x Phalanx CIWS
  • 2x HOS-302 triple torpedo tubes (for Mk-46 or Type 73 torpedoes)

The SM-6 is a multi-mission missile that can engage both air and surface targets. According to our Japanese sources, SM-6 was scheduled to be procured in Japan’s defense budget of FY2019, but procurement was postponed due to shortage of SM-6 parts in the United States. Japan is set to become the first export customer of this missile type. SM-6, SM-3 and SM-2 are all designed and produced by Raytheon.

As we reported recently, the Maya-class destroyers will feature a cooperative table developed by Japanese company Fujitsu. Placed in the CIC, this table will be used for mission planning, among other tasks.

JMSDF AEGIS Destroyer JS Haguro, during her transit to Sasebo naval base following her commissioning at JMU shipyard. View of the helicopter deck and hangar. Note the Phalanx CIWS on top of the hangar. Picture by Japanese photographer やん/やん @nvyan81

For electronic warfare, the Maya-class is fitted with NOLQ-2C ESM (Electronic Support Measures) and Mk.137 decoy launchers. The Maya-class is not fitted with any ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) system.

For anti-submarine warfare, the Maya-class is equipped with an AN/SQS-53C bow sonar and a Multi-Function Towed Array (MFTA) sonar at the stern.

Last but not least, the Maya-class would typically deploy with a SH-60K maritime helicopter.

Japan Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force JMSDF Maya-class 2021-03-19
Tags Japan Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force JMSDF Maya-class
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More

Authors

Posted by : Xavier Vavasseur
Xavier is based in Paris, France. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Xavier has been covering naval defense topics for nearly a decade.

Related Articles

Japan to increase the number of Aegis destroyers

Japan to increase the number of Aegis destroyers

Yoshihiro Inaba 03 Jan 2023
On December 16, 2022, the Japanese government approved three security-related documents, including a new national security strategy.
Modification work on JS Kaga nears Completion

Modification work on JS Kaga nears Completion

Yoshihiro Inaba 28 Dec 2022
Modification work to turn Japan's JS Kaga "helicopter destroyer" into a F-35B aircraft carrier are nearing completion at a dock in Kure City.
Japanese MoD releases further details about its future BMD destroyers

Japanese MoD releases further details about its future BMD destroyers

Naval News Staff 25 Dec 2022
On December 23, the Japanese MoD released its budget request for FY2023 in which we can learn further details about Japan's future ballistic missile defense (BMD) destroyers, also known as ASEV (Aegis system-equipped vessels).

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved