JS ''Kirishima'' (DDG-174) is a guided missile
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). ''Kirishima'' was named for Mount Kirishima. She was laid down by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki on 7 April 1992, and was launched on 19 August 1993.
It was not until 16 March 1995 that she was commissioned. She is based at the JMSDF base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, and as of 2014, is the flagship of Rear Admiral Hidetoshi Iwasaki.
[Kelly, Ti]
Japan raises military profile in maritime war games with U.S. 21 November 2014
''Japan Times'' Retrieved 13 May 2017
History
In 2003 the ''Kirishima'' was deployed to the Indian Ocean as logistical support for US forces engaged in the War on Terror. This prompted some opposition including protests and boatloads of protesters attempting to block the ship from leaving its harbor at Yokosuka. It was later replaced in the deployment by the destroyer .
''Kirishima'' underwent modification at Nagasaki to add the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMD) capability to its weapons suite.
This ship was one of several in the JMSDF fleet participating in disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
The ship was also deployed in preparation for North Korea's launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 in March 2012.
From 26 June to 1 August 2014, ''Kirishima'' participated in RIMPAC alongside .
In November, it participated in the Keen Sword 15 exercises with the US. The ship was responsible for guarding the , the US aircraft carrier then forward-deployed to Japan.
Gallery
File:DDG-174 12l.jpg, JS ''Kirishima'', date unknown
File:JS Kirishima (DDG-174).jpg, JS ''Kirishima'' at Yokosuka on 13 July 2009
File:US Navy 101029-N-XXXXX-004 An SM-3 (Block 1A) missile is launched from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Kirishima (DD 174), succe.jpg, JS ''Kirishima'' launching a RIM-161 Standard Missile 3, SM-3 on 29 October 2010
File:JS Kirishima and JS Sawayuki at Yokosuka, -10 Jun. 2012 a.jpg, JS ''Kirishima'' and JS Sawayuki on 10 June 2012
File:JS Kirishima (DDG-174) vertrekt uit Pearl Harbour voor deelname aan de RIMPAC 2014, -7 juli 2014 a.jpg, JS ''Kirishima'' at Pearl Harbor on 7 July 2014
References
External links
GlobalSecurity.org; JMSDF DDG ''Kongo'' Class
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirishima (DDG-174)
Kongō-class destroyers
1993 ships
Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries