JDS Amatsukaze

This article is about the destroyer launched in 1963. For other Japanese ships named Amatsukaze, see Amatsukaze.
JDS Amatsukaze (DDG-163)
History
Japan
Name: Amatsukaze
Builder: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Laid down: 29 November 1962
Launched: 5 October 1963
Commissioned: 15 February 1965
Decommissioned: 29 November 1995
Homeport:
Nickname(s): Jet coaster
General characteristics
Type: Guided missile destroyer
Displacement:
  • 3,050 long tons (3,099 t) standard
  • 4,000 long tons (4,064 t) full load
Length: 131.0 m (429 ft 9 in) overall
Beam: 13.4 m (44 ft 0 in)
Draft: 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × IHI/GE reaction steam turbines
  • 2 × IHI Model FWD2 water tube boilers
  • 60,000 shp (45 MW), 2 shafts
Speed: 33 knots (38 mph; 61 km/h)
Complement: 290
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:		 NOLR-1B intercept
Armament:

JDS Amatsukaze (DDG-163) was a guided missile destroyer (DDG) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the only ship of her class. She was the first Japanese surface combatant equipped with surface-to-air missiles. She was launched on 5 October 1963 and decommissioned in 1995.

Amatsukaze was planned as the DDG variant of the preceding Akizuki-class anti-aircraft destroyers, mounting the American Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System weapon system. However, the Tartar 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[1] and uprated steam turbines.[2]

Tartar missiles

Amatsukaze was one of the earliest foreign ships equipped with the American Tartar system. (The other is the French Kersaint-class DDG).[3] 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.

1965 1995
SAM RIM-24B Improved Tartar RIM-66 SM-1MR
SUM none RUR-5 ASROC
with Mk.112 octuple launcher
Torpedo
launcher		 Mk.2 over-the-side launchers Mk.32 triple torpedo tubes
3D radar AN/SPS-39 AN/SPS-52
GFCS Mk.63 mod.14 FCS-2-21D
Sonar AN/SQS-4 (search)
AN/SQR-8 (attack)		 AN/SQS-23
EW NOLR-1B (intercept) NOLR-6B (intercept)
OLR-9B (missile warning)
OLT-3 (jammer)

The Tartar weapon system made a strong positive impression on the JMSDF, but it was too expensive for the JMSDF to able to afford another Tartar-equipped DDG at once. As a result, the JMSDF had to wait 10 years to build another DDG, the first Tachikaze-class destroyer.[4]

Ships in class

Building no. Pennant no. Name Laid down Launched Completed Decommissioned
2303 DDG-163 Amatsukaze 29 November 1962 5 October 1963 15 February 1965 29 November 1995

References

  1. ↑ "1. Hull (Hardware of JMSDF destroyers)". Ships of the World (in Japanese) (Kaijin-sha) (742): 100–105. June 2011.
  2. ↑ Yasuo Abe (June 2011). "2. Propulsion system (Hardware of JMSDF destroyers)". Ships of the World (in Japanese) (Kaijin-sha) (742): 106–111.
  3. ↑ Keiichi Nogi (March 2010). "1. Missiles (Shipboard weapons of JMSDF 1952-2010)". Ships of the World (in Japanese) (Kaijin-sha) (721): 82–87.
  4. ↑ Heihachiro Fujiki (August 2007). "A history of JMSDF's missile destroyers". Ships of the World (in Japanese) (Kaijinn-sha) (678): 98–103.
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