Shirane-class destroyer

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.

Kurama (DDH-144) at sea in 2011
Class overview
Name	Shirane-class destroyer
Builders	Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries
Operators	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Preceded by	Haruna-class destroyer
Succeeded by	Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer
Built	1977–1981
In commission	1980–2017
Planned	2
Completed	2
Retired	2
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	5,200 long tons (5,283 t) standard 7,500 long tons (7,620 t) full load
Length	159 m (522 ft)
Beam	17.5 m (57 ft 5 in)
Draft	5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 × IHI boilers 850 psi (60 kg/cm², 5.9 MPa), 430 °C 2 × turbines 2 shafts 70,000 shp (52 MW)
Speed	31 knots (36 mph; 57 km/h)
Complement	350 360 (DDH-144) 20 staff
Sensors and processing systems	OPS-12 3D Air-search radar OPS-28 surface-search radar OQS-101 bow sonar AN/SQS-35/SQR-18 VDS-TASS
Electronic warfare & decoys	NOLQ-1 integrated suite OLR-9B RWR Mark 36 SRBOC
Armament	Sea Sparrow SAM launcher ASROC Mk 112 octuple launcher 2 × FMC 5-inch/54-caliber Mark 42 guns 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × Mark 32 triple torpedo tubes (Mk-46 torpedoes)
Aircraft carried	3 × SH-60J(K) anti-submarine helicopters

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weapon systems, one surface-to-air RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher, torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets.^[1] The ships has been replaced by the new Izumo-class helicopter destroyers.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]