Pentagon Cuts Some of its F-35 Orders
March 5, 2019X-60A Completes Critical Design Review
March 7, 2019Japan Commissions Second Asahi-Class Guided-Missile Destroyer
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) commissioned its second Asahi-class guided-missile destroyer on 27 February in Nagasaki Prefecture.
Shiranui , which is the first JMSDF ship to feature a periscope-detection radar, was launched in October 2017 and began sea trials in July 2018. The first vessel of the class, JS Asahi (pennant number 119), was commissioned in March 2018.
The class has a top speed of 30 kt and a crew complement of 220, according to the JMSDF. Each of the ships can accommodate a Mitsubishi (Sikorsky) SH-60K helicopter on the flight deck, and another one in a hangar deck.
The Asahi class is armed with a 127 mm naval gun as its primary weapon, and two Phalanx 20 mm close-in weapon systems. The platform is also equipped with launchers capable of deploying the Type 90 anti-ship missile, and the RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM).