Murasame class destroyer (1994)

The West Japanese destroyer RJS Harusame (DD-102) at sea on March 23rd, 2006.

The Murasame-class destroyers are a third-generation general purpose destroyer in service with the Republic of Japan Navy.

The Murasame-class was designed to replace the RoJN's smaller destroyers that were reaching block obsolescence, ensuring the fleet could maintain its strength while increasing its firepower. It was originally planned that 14 of these would be built, but this was reduced to nine when the Takanami-class (a modified variant of the Murasame) was designed and construction begun.

The Murasame-class destroyers' weapon systems include the Sea Dart Mk,II surface-to-air missile, Thunderbolt surface-to-air missile, VL-Orca ASW missile, the SSM-1B anti-ship missile, two 30mm Goalkeeper CIWS gun mounts, two torpedo mounts in a triple tube configuration and a 76mm/62-caliber rapid-fire naval gun.

With the exception of Kirisame, all ships of the class are named for World War II destroyers.

Specifications

• Type: Multirole Destroyer
• Service Period: 1996 - Present
• Characteristics
  • Length: 495 feet (150.88 meters)
  • Beam: 57 feet 1 inch (17.4 meters)
  • Draft: 17 feet 1 inch (5.21 meters)
  • Displacement: 5,096 tons standard; 6,832 tons full load
• Crew: 165
• Propulsion: 2 x IHI LM-2500 gas turbines, 2 x Kawasaki-Rolls Royce Spey SM1C gas turbines, 60,000 shp (45 MW), 2 shafts
• Speed: 30 knots (55.56 km/h)
• Sensor Suite:
  • OQS-5 hull ASDIC
  • OYQ-9 combat direction system
  • OPS-24 AESA RDF
  • OPS-28 Surface Search and Target Acquisition RDF
  • OYQ-103 ASW control system
• Countermeasures:
  • NOLQ-3 Integrated Electronic Warfare Suite
• Armament
  • 1 x Otobreda 76mm/62-caliber Super Rapid Fire naval gun
  • 1 x 16-cell VLS (fires GWS.31 Sea Dart Mk.II AAMs and VL-Orca ASubMs)
  • 4 x 8-cell VLS (fires Thunderbolt AAMs)
  • 2 x 4-canister Mk.141 SSM Launcher (fires SSM-1B AShMs)
  • 2 x 30mm Goalkeeper CIWS
  • 2 x Type 68 triple fire torpedo tubes
• Aircraft Carried: 1 x Mitsubishi SH-101J

Unit Run

West Japan

• RJS Murasame (DD-101)
• RJS Harusame (DD-102)
• RJS Yudachi (DD-103)
• RJS Kirisame (DD-104)
• RJS Inazuma (DD-105)
• RJS Samidare (DD-106)
• RJS Ikazuchi (DD-107)
• RJS Akebono (DD-108)
• RJS Ariake (DD-109)

Philippines

• BRP Cebu
• BRP Panay
• BRP Alabat
• BRP Busuanga
• BRP Sibuyan
• BRP Palawan