Kongō class destroyer

The "Kongō" class of guided missile destroyers, a modification of the United States Navy's "Arleigh Burke" class (Flight I), serves as the core ship of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)'s Escort Flotillas.

Design

The "Kongō" class employs the highly advanced Aegis fire control system and is armed with the RIM-66 SM-2MR Block II surface-to-air missile, RUM-139 vertically launched anti-submarine rocket, the RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, two Mark 15 20 mm CIWS gun mounts, two torpedo mounts in a triple tube configuration, and an Oto Melara 127 mm/54 caliber gun. Its Mark 41 vertical launch system can hold 90 missiles. However, in keeping with the defensive mission of the JMSDF and passive role of the Japan Self-Defense Forces in general, the "Kongō"-class lacks the Tomahawk missile.

As on other ships employing the Aegis system, the superstructure is dominated by the SPY-1's phased arrays, which eliminates the need for a traditional rotating antenna. The design of the superstructure also incorporates certain stealth features, designed to reduce radar cross section of the ship; however, as a consequence, the ship is considerably more top-heavy than a typical destroyer and requires a much deeper draft. As such, operations in a littoral (coastal) environment are limited. Overall, "Kongō"-class destroyers are much larger than traditional destroyers and at 9,485 tons displacement come close to cruisers in size. Because of being built to different operational requirements such as for carrying extra equipments for commanding a squadron, the "Kongō"-class ships' internal arrangement is quite different from that of the "Arleigh Burke"-class ships on which their design is based.

The "Kongō" class vessels are being modified to serve in a theater missile defense role, with the primary intention of countering North Korean ballistic missiles. This purpose and a financial crisis made the Flight II variant of the "Arleigh Burke" class the choice for the follow-on class to the "Tachikaze" and "Asakaze". The new destroyer was named "Atago" in 2005.

"Kongō" class destroyers are powered by four Ishikawajima-Harima LM2500 gas turbines.

In December 2007, Japan conducted a successful test of the SM-3 block IA against a ballistic missile aboard JDS Kongō (DDG-173). This was the first time a Japanese ship was selected to launch the interceptor missile during a test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. In previous tests they provided tracking and communications. [Agence France-Presse. [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYKNf5janYHfOLxdsRH__KSNXVNw Japan shoots down test missile in space: defence minister] . Accessed December 23, 2007.] [ [http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/pdf/07news0053.pdf MDA press release] . 17 December 2007.]

Namesakes

All "Kongō"-class destroyers take their names from Japan's mountains, the class name referring to Mount Kongō.

The class shares its name with the 1877 Japanese corvette "Kongō" and the previous Japanese class of battlecruisers named after the "Kongō", all of which were lost during World War II (including the "Kirishima").

Other ships whose names are shared by this class of modern Japanese destroyers are the heavy cruisers "Myōkō" and "Chōkai".

Ships in the class

The Kongō class in popular culture

The Kongo class has been featured in a few anime, video games, and one feature film. In the alternate history series "Zipang", a Kongo-class destroyer called the DDG-182 みらい ("Mirai") is involved in a time slip that sends the ship and the crew back in time to the Battle of Midway. The JMSDF allowed the producers of the Japanese movie 亡国のイージス ("Boukoku no Aegis") to shoot aboard the DDG-175 "Myōkō", which stood in as the film's Aegis destroyer, called the いそかぜ ("Isokaze"). The DDG-175 hull number was retained for the movie. In the Tom Clancy novel "Debt of Honor", the lead ship of the line, the "Mutsu" figured prominently in a Japanese plot to wrest the US Navy's control of the Western Pacific region. The "Ace Combat" series of flight simulation video games used the Kongo class in several missions where the player faces naval forces.

References

External links

* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/kongo.htm GlobalSecurity.org; JMSDF DDG Kongo Class]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/asiapac/japan.htm Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces] page on Andrew Toppan's Haze Gray and Underway web site

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