The RJS Amatsukaze (DD-163) was a guided missile destroyer of the Republic of Japan Navy, and the only ship of her class. She was the first Japanese surface combatant equipped with surface-to-air missiles. She was commissioned on October 5th 1963 and decommissioned on November 29th 1995.
Amatsukaze was planned as the DDG variant of the preceding Akizuki-class anti-aircraft destroyers, mounting the British Empire Sea Slug weapons system. However, the Sea Slug weapons system turned out to be larger than expected, so Amatsukaze's design was altered completely, with an enlarged hull and with a shelter-deck design based on that of the Isuzu-class and uprated steam turbines.
Amatsukaze was one of the earliest foreign ships equipped with the British Sea Slug system (with the other being the Australian Perth-class guided missile destroyer. Because of the financial burden of this expensive weapon system, the other equipment aboard Amatsukaze was almost the same as that of the Ayanami-class at first, but the JMSDF applied a spiral model to Amatsukaze, allowing continual updating of her equipment as described in the following table.
Specifications[]
Original Configuration[]
- Type: Guided Missile Destroyer
- Service Period: 1965-1981
- Characteristics:
- Length: 435 feet (132.59 meters)
- Beam: 46 feet (14.02 meters)
- Draft: 14 feet (4.27 meters)
- Displacement: 3,300 tons (Standard); 4,310 tons (Full Load)
- Crew: 290
- Propulsion: 2 x IHI/GE reaction steam turbines, 2 x IHI Model FWD2 water tube boilers, 65,000 shp (48.75 MW), 2 x shafts
- Speed: 33 knots (61.12 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- Type 965 air search RDF
- Type 277 height finder RDF
- Type 992 target indication RDF
- Type 901 Sea Slug fire control RDF
- Type 177 ASDIC
- Countermeasures:
- NOLR-1B RDF Interceptor
- Armament
- 2 x FMC 3"/70-caliber Vickers Mk.6 twin mount naval guns
- 1 x quad Sea Slug AAM launcher
- 2 x 4-cannister Mark 30 Thunderbolt AAM Launcher
- 2 x Mk.15 Hedgehog ASW Mortars
- 2 x 21" torpedo tubes
Final Configuration[]
- Type: Guided Missile Destroyer
- Service Period: 1981-1995
- Characteristics:
- Length: 435 feet (132.59 meters)
- Beam: 46 feet (14.02 meters)
- Draft: 14 feet (4.27 meters)
- Displacement: 3,300 tons (Standard); 4,310 tons (Full Load)
- Crew: 290
- Propulsion: 2 x IHI/GE reaction steam turbines, 2 x IHI Model FWD2 water tube boilers, 65,000 shp (48.75 MW), 2 x shafts
- Speed: 33 knots (61.12 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- OPS-12 3D Air Search RDF
- OPS-18 Surface Search RDF
- FCS-2-12 Missile Fire System
- FCS-2-21D Gun Fire Control System
- SFCS-6 ASW Control System
- OQS-4 Bow ASDIC
- OQR-1 Towed Array ASDIC
- Superbird Satellite Communications System
- Countermeasures:
- NOLR-6B RDF Interceptor
- OLR-9B Missile Warning System
- OLT-3 Jammer
- Armament:
- 1 x Otobreda 76mm/62-caliber Compact naval gun
- 1 x Twin Arm Sea Dart AAM Launcher (fires GWS.31 Mod 2 Sea Dart AAMs)
- 2 x 4-cannister Mark 30 Thunderbolt AAM Launcher
- 2 x Ikara AsubW Missile Launchers
- 2 x 12.75" triple torpedo tubes
- 2 x 30mm Goalkeeper CIWS