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When integrated, this will create a much more capable fleet able to expand its role beyond being a simple “shield” to the US Navy’s “spear,” analysts said.
Data from AMI International shows that the Izumo-class helicopter destroyers (22DDH) and the Soryu-class submarines are the leading programs for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), both in budget and importance to Japan’s maritime security, according to Bob Nugent, affiliate consultant at AMI.
Japan unveiled the first of the two planned Izumo-class ships on Aug. 6, 2013 — the largest Japanese warship since World War II — which will be able to carry 15 helicopters. In 2009 and 2011, the Navy also commissioned two new third-generation Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers, each capable of deploying 11 helicopters.
Nugent said that at almost 20,000 tons full-load displacement, compared to the Hyuga class at 13,950 tons, the 22DDH are not fully aircraft carriers because they cannot launch, recover and sustain fixed-wing aircraft, meaning they are still helicopter-carrying “destroyers.” Still, they comprise a key step in the JMSDF’s evolution into a force with significant seagoing aviation platforms and capability. “The Izumo class are really fleet flagships with advanced command and control, as well as advanced ASW [anti-submarine warfare] and anti-mine warfare capabilities,” he said.
The Soryu-class submarines made headlines in June when Australia and Japan agreed to jointly develop a range of submarine technologies, with a view to possibly purchasing the highly advanced, stealthy submarines. In September, the JMSDF announced it would further improve the submarine’s capabilities with new battery technologies.
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