The destroyer "Izumo" with a total displacement of 27 thousand tons! Why do the Japanese call these large aircraft-carrying ships with a solid flight deck as destroyers, being careful not to call a spade a spade?
There is no secret in the classification itself. Ships with mine and artillery weapons are a thing of the past, while the terminology has survived. Modern names have not caught on. Here destroyers grow to the size of aircraft carriers.
The classification is usually arbitrary. Ships of similar size can have a sharp contrast in functionality. So, domestic destroyers evolved into large anti-submarine ships (BOD). Destroyers of Western countries are positioned as air defense escort ships. The Japanese naval self-defense forces traditionally included such a class as "destroyer-helicopter carriers", similar in appearance and purpose to Soviet anti-submarine cruisers of the "Moscow" type.
By the end of the last century, the limited capabilities of the old Haruna and Shirane forced the JMSDF leadership to think about creating new ships with expanded capabilities for basing aircraft. However, this desire went too far beyond the ban on the possession of offensive weapons. An attempt to create an aircraft carrier could initiate complications in international relations and undermine Japan's image as a peace-loving country, “forever renouncing the use of armed force as a means of settling international disputes” (article 9 of the constitution).
The JMSDF leadership was forced to look for circuitous paths, masking its intentions in a stream of obvious and shameless lies.
In 1998-2003. the Japanese fleet was replenished with three Osumi-class tank landing ships. Military experts immediately noted the oddities in their design. "Osumi" is deprived of the main feature of tank landing ships - a bow ramp for disembarking armored vehicles. At the same time, the presence of a 170-meter flight deck and a stern dock camera brings the Osumi closer in capabilities to the versatile landing ships of the French Mistral type.
The Japanese themselves argue that the Osumi are intended to drop troops on their own territory (!) In order to redeploy military equipment in the event of a war. This is partly confirmed by the geography of the island state. In addition, the small helicopter carrier is devoid of a hangar deck and is not intended for long-term basing of aircraft.
Tank landing ship "Osumi". Full displacement of 14 thousand tons. Speed 22 knots. Combat load: up to eight helicopters and two air cushion landing craft. 330 paratroopers (if necessary, this figure can triple). Cargo deck capacity: 10 main battle tanks. Self-defense means of the ship: two anti-aircraft complexes "Falanx"
The first attempt to create a large aircraft carrier did not meet with resistance from the international community. And the Japanese ventured to continue working in this direction.
In 2006, the Hyuga was founded. A super destroyer with a continuous flight deck and many characteristic features of aircraft carriers, incl. hangar deck and two lifts.
In general, despite the scandalous nature of its image, "Hyuuga" was a harmless construction with minimal offensive potential.
The Japanese helicopter carrier is still too small to accommodate modern fighter-bombers, while it does not have any means to simplify takeoff and landing of aircraft. There was no characteristic “springboard”, no catapults, no aerofinishers.
The Japanese “destroyer” is distinguished from helicopter carriers similar in appearance and size - the landing "Mistrals" by its high speed (up to 30 knots) and the absence of a stern dock for amphibious armored vehicles and landing boats.
Finally, a solid built-in armament (16 missile silos, typical ammunition - 12 anti-submarine missiles and 16 anti-aircraft ESSM) under the control of BIUS ATECS (the Japanese analogue of Aegis). Also the latest radar with eight active phased antennas (four for detection, four for missile guidance). For self-defense in the near zone, a pair of six-barreled "Phalanxes" and six torpedo tubes are used to launch small-sized anti-submarine torpedoes.
Established air group - up to 16 anti-submarine and multipurpose helicopters such as SH-60 or MCH-101. In 2013, the possibility of basing the American V-22 Osprey tiltrotor on board the Hyuga was demonstrated.
The appearance, size and characteristics of the "Hyuga", in general, confirm its declared purpose. Anti-submarine ship with hidden amphibious potential. In peacetime - search and rescue missions and patrol service on the high seas. In the military - the transfer and airborne assault of personnel of the Japanese self-defense forces. Where to? The Japanese leadership does not give a clear answer to this question.
A much more ominous event was the appearance of the next type of Japanese destroyer-helicopter carriers - 22DDH Izumo.
The names for the new ships have been chosen exactly!
"Izumo" - in honor of an armored cruiser, a participant in the Battle of Tsushima, who later became famous for her treacherous attack on British and American ships in Shanghai (battle on December 8, 1941).
The second helicopter destroyer launched in August this year was named Kaga. In memory of the attack aircraft carrier, whose planes bombed Pearl Harbor.
“Izumo” really amazes with its size. It is 40 meters longer than the British light aircraft carrier Invincible. Its regular crew is 470 people, while the actual number of military personnel on board (including aviation technical personnel and airborne troops) may exceed a thousand people.
Four General Electric LM2500 turbines accelerate the whopper to 30 knots.
Despite all its steepness, the destroyer is equipped with a “stripped down” version of the FCS-3 radar with four surveillance AFARs (without the ability to control missile weapons, which is also absent). The creators of "Izumo" completely abandoned any built-in weapons (with the exception of "Phalanxes" and SeaRAM self-defense systems).
The destroyer's armament will be entirely represented by aviation.
The air group is staffed with seven anti-submarine helicopters and two search and rescue helicopters. This is a lot for such ships with a continuous flight deck 248 meters long.
What will actually stand on the flight deck and in the hangar of the Izumo?
Most likely - fighters with short takeoff and landing. That is, American F-35s.
But do not rush to draw conclusions!
It is known that Japan does not have any VTOL aircraft, and even in the future it is not planned to acquire such equipment. The Japanese contract for the supply of the F-35 (42 aircraft) includes only vehicles of modification "A", i.e. conventional airfield-based fighter-bombers. The creation of a VTOL aircraft on its own is unlikely and is not advertised anywhere.
In addition, despite its size, the Izumo destroyer-helicopter carrier, like the Hyuuga, is devoid of catapults and take-off ramps. That makes it impossible to take off from his deck of the ship's aircraft of the "Super Hornet".
There is a threat of Izumo's participation in the next international operation to eliminate unwanted countries in the Middle East, with the deployment of the US Marine Corps F-35B on board (as on the landing Wasps and Americas). But we have to admit that such a scenario is unlikely. Japan would not create a special aircraft carrier for wars in the Middle East, while its overlord has enough of its own aircraft carriers.
Japan has two perennial problems. North Korea and the Kuriles. Not so long ago, a third appeared - China, the economic confrontation with which took shape in the form of a conflict over the disputed Senkaku Islands.
It should be admitted that the tank landing "Osumi", like the more modern "Hyuga" and "Izumo", is of little use for a war with Comrade Kim or a serious confrontation with the Chinese fleet.
Obviously, the main purpose of creating these "destroyers" was to ensure the possibility of landing on sparsely populated islands and taking control of the Kuril ridge. At the same time, the flexible composition of air groups makes it possible to place on board a sufficient number of anti-submarine helicopters to neutralize the domestic submarine fleet - the only threat in the chosen direction.
It is in this format that the capabilities of the seven Japanese helicopter carriers are best realized.
Afterword
The only thing that remains to add within the meaning of this article is the incredible, by domestic standards, construction time. The Hyugu and its sister ship Ise were laid down and commissioned in less than three years. Moreover, as it was indicated in the description of the destroyer-helicopter carrier, we are not talking about “ferries”, such as “Mistral”, which are built using civilian shipbuilding technologies.
"Hyuuga" - there is a full-fledged battle ship, when looking at which lines from The Destroyers are recalled:
Herd of one hundred thousand horses
Compressed by a single will.
The enemy will choose from all paths
One - to the bottom and to hell!
Good luck to those who will live.
See you - who dies.
We do God's work!
Until next time. And go ahead!
A destroyer-helicopter carrier with a power plant of enormous power, missile weapons and a modern complex of means of detection and fire control, which would be the envy of another missile cruiser.
Japanese shipyards are threshing equipment at a terrifying speed. Over the past 10 years, the JMSDF has been replenished with 10 destroyers (missile and aircraft carriers), a military icebreaker and nine multipurpose submarines (including six newest Soryu - with an air-independent Stirling engine, whose capabilities are comparable to nuclear-powered ships).
The pace of construction of the much larger (albeit more primitive in equipment than the Hyuga) destroyer-helicopter carrier Izumo was also only three years. At the same time, its cost was 114 billion yen (1.2 billion dollars) - which looks quite reasonable for a ship of this size and purpose.
Just like a hundred years ago, mockery of "macaques" can cost our country dearly. Japan is a competent and powerful adversary. And the more honor it will be if we manage to keep the balance of power with her at the same level.
Virtual excursion aboard the Hyuga:
