JDS ''Asakaze'' (DDG-169) is the second ship of the

Tachikaze-class destroyer The ''Tachikaze''-class destroyer was a second generation guided missile destroyer class, formerly in service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The ships of this class have had successive improvements after their completion, esp ...

built for the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

(JMSDF).

Development

s were designed almost exclusively as anti-aircraft platforms. No helicopter facilities are provided, and the ASW armament is confined to

ASROC The RUR-5 ASROC (for "Anti-Submarine Rocket") is an all-weather, all sea-conditions anti-submarine missile system. Developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s, it was deployed in the 1960s, updated in the 1990s, and eventually installed ...

missiles and Mk 46 torpedoes. In order to save on construction costs the class adopted the propulsion plant and machinery of the Haruna-class destroyers.

Construction and career

She was laid down on the 27 May 1976 in Mitsubishi shipyard in

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...

. She was launched on 15 October 1977, and commissioned on 27 March 1979. She was decommissioned on 12 March 2008. Participated in the Exercise RIMPAC 1982. From November 2 to December 2, 1982, she participated in the

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

dispatch training with the escort vessels

JDS Haruna JS ''Haruna'' (DDH-141) was the lead ship of the ''Haruna''-class helicopter destroyer of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. Overview These ships were Japan's first helicopter-equipped destroyer (DDH), and their greatest feature was t ...

JDS Shirane JS ' (DDH-143) was the lead ship of the Shirane-class destroyer, her eponymous class of destroyer in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Construction and career The vessel was Keel laying, laid down by Ishikawajima-Harima in Tokyo ...

and eight P-2Js. Participated in the Exercise RIMPAC 1984. From April 25 to July 13, 1985, participated in the US dispatch training with the escort vessels JDS Shirane and JDS Sawakaze. Participated in the Exercise RIMPAC 1988. From June 27 to August 28, 1991, participated in the US dispatch training with the escort vessels

JDS Kurama JS ''Kurama'' (DDH-144) was the second ship of the in service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Construction and career Kurama was laid down on 17 February 1978 and launched on 20 September 1979 by IHI Corporation Tokyo Sh ...

and JDS Setogiri. On March 16, 1995, the 64th Escort Corps was newly formed under the 4th Escort Corps group and was incorporated with

JDS Tachikaze JDS ''Tachikaze'' (DDG-168) is the lead ship of the Tachikaze-class destroyer built for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Development Tachikaze-class destroyers were designed almost exclusively as anti-aircraft platforms. No h ...

. On March 20, 1998, the homeport was transferred to

Sasebo is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

. On July 1, 2002, based on the Act on Special Measures Against Terrorism, he was dispatched to the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

with the escort ship JDS Inazuma and returned to Japan on October 29, 2002. JDS ''Asakaze'' succeeded JDS Tachikaze in the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

role after her decommissioning in 2008. In October 2009, dismantling was completed at Imari Port. In March 2010, dismantling was completed.

Gallery

File:JDS Asakaze DDG169.jpg, JDS ''Asakaze'' entering

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

on 19 June 2006. File:Signal bell of JS Asakaze(DDG-169) in JMSDF 1st Service School May 6, 2019.jpg, JDS ''Asakaze''’s signal bell on display In JMSDF 1st Service School

References

External links

Military Factory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asakaze (DDG-169) 1977 ships Tachikaze-class destroyers Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries