 JSMaya | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maya class |
| Builders | Japan Marine United (2) |
| Operators | Japan Maritime Self Defense Force |
| Preceded by | Atago class |
| Succeeded by | Aegis system equipped vessels (ASEV) |
| Cost | ¥164.8 billion[1] |
| Built | 2017–2021 |
| In commission | 2020– |
| Planned | 2 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Active | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Guided-missile destroyer |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 170 m (557 ft 9 in) |
| Beam | 21 m (68 ft 11 in) |
| Draft | 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in) |
| Depth | 12 m (39 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | approx. 30 knots (56 km/h) |
| Boats & landing craft carried |
|
| Complement | 300 |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 1 ×SH-60K helicopter |
| Aviation facilities | Flight deck and enclosed hangar for one helicopter |
TheMaya class ofguided-missile destroyers (まや型護衛艦,Maya-gata Goeikan) in theJapan Maritime Self-Defense Force is a modified version of theAtago class, with an updatedAegis Combat System andelectric propulsion system.[3]Maya was commissioned on March 19, 2020.[4]Haguro was commissioned on March 19, 2021.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) began construction of theAegis-equippedKongō class in FY1988.[5] In FY2002 and 2003, a modified version,Atago class, was also added for its fleet.[5]
However, even after the fourKongō-class and twoAtago-class destroyers had been commissioned, it was still necessary to build two more Aegis-equipped destroyers to replaceHatakaze class, the best and last survivor ofTartar-equipped destroyers.[5] The construction of these two Aegis-equipped destroyers was included in theNational Defense Program Guidelines for FY2014 and beyond.[5] The first ship, JSMaya, was built in the FY2015 budget.[3]
While it shares the same design characteristics as theAtago class, theMaya class possesses a larger hull to install a hybrid-electric propulsion system.[3]
Maya-class destroyers are engineered with a COGLAG (Combined Gas turbine-eLectric And Gas turbine) propulsion system, a modification of thecombined gas and gas propulsion system employingelectric propulsion for low-speed cruising. The JMSDF had been testing a COGLAG propulsion system on JSAsuka. Then, the adoption of the system for surface combatants began with theAsahi class. While theAsahi class system had a low voltage distribution of 450 volts, theMaya class system is equipped with a more advanced system that can handle a high voltage distribution of 6,600 volts.[3]
The JMSDF already uses anintegrated electric propulsion system for auxiliary vessels and is expected to expand to surface combatant ships in the future in light of its future weapon accommodation.[3]
TheMaya class features the newer Aegis Weapon System (AWS) Baseline 9C (referred to as J7 in Japan), compared with theAtago class using the Baseline 7 system (now being updated to Baseline 9C with modernization).[3][6] With this system, these destroyers are equipped with the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system. This will allow the ship to share surveillance or targeting information with other CEC-equipped assets, such as ships from the American or Australian Navy or from American or JapaneseE-2 Hawkeyes.[7] In addition to the AWS, they are also equipped with anAegis BMD 5.1 system; they are the first JMSDF Aegis vessels to be capable of ballisticmissile defense (BMD) from the time of its commissioning.[3][4]
In addition to the existingSM-2MR Block IIIBsurface-to-air missiles, theSM-6 will also be installed in the future.[4][8] The SM-6 missiles can be networked to the CEC system and thus allow it to receive targeting information from other CEC-equipped sources. While the primary role of the SM-6 is to intercept enemy aircraft and cruise missiles, the SM-6 is also capable of intercepting ballistic missiles in their terminal phase and can double as ananti-ship missile.[3]
As foranti-ballistic missiles, these ships are equipped with theSM-3 Block IA, IB, and IIA. The SM-3 Block IIA is the latest variant of the SM-3 missiles, being re-designed drastically to defend broader areas.[3][4]
The ship will useType 17 ship-to-ship missiles (SSM-2)[7] in addition to an existingType 90 (SSM-1B).[4] As for lightweighttorpedoes, the HOS-303torpedo tubes were adopted for this class; this is contrary to the HOS-302 tubes that were used until theAtago class.[2]
Future armaments for the ships are slated to include a locally builtrailgun and alaser point-defense system.[9]
On 16 November 2022, the guided-missile destroyerMaya fired an SM-3 Block IIA missile, successfully intercepting the target outside the atmosphere in the first launch of the missile from a Japanese warship. On 18 November 2022, theHaguro likewise fired an SM-3 Block IB missile with a successful hit outside the atmosphere. Both test firings were conducted at thePacific Missile Range Facility onKauai Island, Hawaii, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy andU.S. Missile Defense Agency. This was the first time the two ships conducted SM-3 firings at the same time, and the tests validated the ballistic missile defense capabilities of Japan’s newestMaya-class destroyers.[10]
| Pennant No. | Name | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Builder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DDG-179 | JS Maya | 17 April 2017 | 30 July 2018 | 19 March 2020 | JMU, Yokohama |
| DDG-180 | JS Haguro | 23 January 2018 | 17 July 2019 | 19 March 2021 |
Maya shares her name with the World War II era JapaneseTakao-class heavy cruiserMaya,[11] whileHaguro shares her name withMyōkō-class heavy cruiserHaguro.[12]
