Laid down 27 January 2012 Identification DDH-183 Construction started 27 January 2012 Length 248 m Builder IHI Corporation | Ordered 2010 Commissioned 25 March 2015 Status in active service Launched 6 August 2013 Beam 38 m | |
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JS Izumo (DDH-183) is a helicopter carrier (officially classified by Japan as a helicopter destroyer) and the lead ship in the Izumo class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). She is the second warship to be named for Izumo Province, with the previous ship being the armored cruiser Izumo (1898).
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Design and construction
The construction of the first ship of the class began in 2011 at an IHI Marine United shipyard in Yokohama, with funding totalling 113.9 billion yen ($1.5 billion) being set aside in the fiscal 2010 budget for this purpose. The destroyers of this class were initially intended to replace the two ships of the Shirane class, which were originally scheduled to begin decommissioning in FY2014.
The ship, the largest Japanese naval vessel since World War II, was laid down on 27 January 2012 and launched on 6 August 2013. The ship began sea trials on 29 September 2014. The ship was commissioned on 25 March 2015.
The ship is as large as a Japanese carrier of second World War-era. It resembles the amphibious assault carriers used by U.S. Marines but lacks a well deck for launching landing craft. Izumo is designated as a destroyer because the Japanese constitution forbids the acquisition of offensive weapons. Nevertheless, the vessel allows Japan to project military power well beyond its territory.
Izumo became operational in time to take part in a major August 2015 disaster drill conducted in Tokyo, alongside the Japan Coast Guard's large patrol vessel Izu. The two vessels acted as casualty receiving and triage stations during the exercise.
Aircraft carried
The ship can host up to 28 aircraft, or 14 larger aircraft. However, only 7 ASW helicopters and 2 SAR helicopters are planned for the initial aircraft complement. For other operations, 400 troops and 50 3.5-ton trucks (or equivalent equipment) can also be carried. The flight deck has 5 helicopter landing spots that allow simultaneous landings or take-offs.
In 2010, Forecast International reported that some design features were intended to support fixed wing aircraft such as the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II; although neither the Ministry of Defense nor the JMSDF have mentioned the possibility of introducing fixed-wing aircraft. The ship has neither a "ski-jump" nor a catapult, typical features for launching fixed-wing aircraft. If Izumo-class ships were to operate fixed-wing aircraft, they would be limited to STOVL (short take-off, vertical landing) aircraft. Japan has purchased the conventional version of the Lightning II (the F-35A), but may also acquire the STOVL version (the F-35B) which could be operated from a modified Izumo class.
Air-defense
The ship is equipped with 3 Phalanx CIWS and 2 SeaRAM for her defense.