JMSDF commissions its second 25DD-class Asahi ASW destroyer.

On February 27, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned its second Asahi-class guided-missile destroyer, the JS Shiranui, in the Nagasaki prefecture. It comes one year after the JMSDF commissioned the JS Asahi, the first of the 25DD-class Asahi ASW destroyer.

JS Asahi underway following its commissioning with the JMSDF (Picture source : Japanese shipspotter @T_fighter)

Based on the anti-air warfare Akizuki-class destroyer (19DD), the Asahi is 151 meters long and 18.3 meters wide, for a total displacement of 5100 tons. The class has a draft of 5.4 meters. The NBC Nagasaki report further explains that the Asahi is the first JMSDF destroyer to feature a “hybrid” COGLAG (combined gas and electric turbine) drive system, along with advanced anti-torpedo defenses and is further the first JMSDF destroyer equipped with a periscope-detecting radar system. Navy Recognition has previously covered the initial launch of the Asahi and reported on the variety of weapons systems and sensors the class is equipped with.

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). As for the warship's anti-submarine warfare capabilities are provided by six (two triple) 324 mm torpedo tubes, an OQQ-24 hull-mounted sonar, and an OQR-4 tactical towed array system (TACTAS).