MVSA-32J Umidori

JDS ''Mirai'' (DDH-182) is a fictional helicopter defense destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), created for the Japanese manga and anime series '' Zipang''. The central point of the plot of the anime is that the modern warship ''Mirai'' is transported back sixty years through time to 1942 on the eve of the Battle of Midway. The ship's weapons alone are enough to change the course of World War II, but equally potent are the advanced technology and knowledge of future events on board. The name of the ship is a homophone for the Japanese word meaning "future" and is often the basis of double entendres in the anime. The phrase "Mirai no nipponjin" (みらいの日本人), often repeated in the anime, for example, can mean "Japanese people of the ship ''Mirai''" or "Japanese people of the future."

Class description

The ''Mirai'' is a ship of a fictional ''Yukinami''-class of helicopter defense destroyer, which was created specifically for the story. The fictional ships are essentially an improved version of the actual Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force . All these ships are equipped with the Aegis Combat System that provides the vessels possessing it the capability to locate, track and target a large number of enemy vessels, aircraft and even missiles at ranges and with accuracy that was unimaginable in World War II.

The JDS ''Mirai'' is sometimes described as a cruiser rather than a destroyer. This is because a modern guided missile destroyer is about the size of a World War II light cruiser (the ''Mirai'' is actually longer than the and broader than the ''Takao''-class heavy cruisers) and, in the context of the story, the WW II era characters misidentify the ''Mirai'' as a cruiser. Some sources have picked up this misidentification and reported it as factual.

Variations between the ''Yukinami''-class and the ''Kongō''-class

The major difference between the ''Yukinami''-class and the ''Kongō''-class is that the fictional ship is ten meters longer, which provides space for an aircraft hangar on the aft part of the ship. Real destroyers of the ''Kongō'' class have a helicopter landing pad on the fantail but do not carry any aircraft on board. The hangar on the ''Mirai'' allows her to carry a SH-60J Seahawk helicopter and a (fictional) VTOL armed reconnaissance aircraft, the tilt-wing MVSA-32J Umidori (Seagull). The availability of aircraft, especially the advanced capabilities of the VTOL Umidori, greatly expands the story lines by giving the characters mobility beyond the confines of the ship.

The ''Mirai'' and the ''Atago''-class

The JMSDF has produced an improved ''Kongō'' class which has a helicopter hangar but still does not carry helicopters on board. The first of the new destroyers, named ''Atago'', was launched in 2005. The ''Atago''-class design is approximately four meters longer and 500 tons heavier than that of the ''Kongō'' class, closely resembling the ''Mirai''’s alterations. However, since the manga ''Zipang'' was published in 2000, at the same time as or even before JMSDF had added the improved ''Kongō''’s to their 5-year budget and years before the first keel was laid, it is unlikely that the ''Mirai'' was intended to be an ''Atago''-class ship; the resemblance is more likely coincidence resulting from similar operational requirements. An improved "Flight IIA" version of the American ''Arleigh Burke-''class also includes a slightly lengthened hull and a hangar for two Seahawk helicopters.

Armament

Tomahawk missiles

In episode 22 of ''Zipang'', the JDS ''Mirai'' uses a Tomahawk cruise missile to destroy the . The characters specifically identified this as the anti-ship variant and it is visually identical to the Tomahawk missile. In real-life, JMSDF ships do not carry Tomahawk cruise missiles, as Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution forbids Japan from possessing offensive weapons of any kind. The use of the Tomahawk cruise missile in the story suggests that in the near-future universe of the JDS ''Mirai'', Japan had changed its policy on offensive weapons. The missile explodes on the deck of the ''Wasp'' and causes a massive chain reaction from the aircraft fuel and munitions of the second wave parked on the deck waiting to be launched, the Tomahawk sinks the ''Wasp'' with heavy casualties.

MVSA-32J Umidori

The MVSA-32J Umidori (English: Seagull) is a fictional aircraft created for the series. In it, it is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force VTOL tilt-wing armed reconnaissance aircraft deployed aboard the destroyer ''Mirai''.

The MVSA-32J has two large, five-bladed propellers mounted on nacelles in its wings. The wings both tilt, for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), and fold, for storage within the ''Mirai''’s hangar. It appears that its engines are not in the wing nacelles, which are too small and do not have any air intakes. Air intakes and engine exhausts in the lower part of the fuselage indicate that the engines are located there, presumably connected to the propellers by some complicated mechanical linkage.

The design of the Umidori appears to be influenced by the Canadair CL-84 Dynavert Tiltwing, which was intended for projected Sea Control Ships of the 1970s The modern design of the Umidori incorporates features of the Bell XV-15 in terms of aerodynamic form and size, and in turn of the later, larger V-22 Osprey.

Early in the series the Umidori launches to verify that it was in fact 1942, where it flies over a Japanese base and is spotted. It is engaged by two floatplane fighters launched by the base, due to the officers stationed there (obviously) not recognizing the advanced VTOL aircraft. The Umidori pilots manage to disable the floatplanes without killing their operators and escape, but not before the Umidori gunner is struck and killed.

*Top speed:
*Armament: one 3-barreled 20mm " Gatling-style" cannon
*Crew: 2, a pilot and a weapon systems operator (WSO)

In the series, the ''Mirai''s crew refer to the aircraft as the "Seagull" but the characters from 1942 call it the "Umidori".

Deck gun

The main deck gun at the bow of the ''Mirai'' was enough to sink American convoy ships; however, it was never used for this purpose. When the ''Mirai'' stopped to resupply, the Japanese thought that the ''Mirai'' was not a powerful warship, they probably didn't know that the ''Mirai'' had missiles as well. The deck gun is a 127 mm compact gun, the standard of modern-day warships. In the episode when Hutton rams his Dauntless against the bridge his left wing, which separated on impact slammed against the deck gun barrel, thus damaging it. When an American Avenger torpedo bomber squadron attacked the ''Mirai'', the deck gun destroyed the entire squadron, even though it was referred to as "one lousy gun". During their later resupply and repair at contemporary Yokosuka, the proper specifications of the original 127 mm were not followed, and thus the replacement barrel was limited to less power and a slower burst. The dire story continues and the new barrel is used in battle, against the bridges and towers of several American warships.

Sea Sparrow

The ''Mirai'' carries RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, after a fleet of Japanese warships, led by the mighty Japanese battleship ''Yamato'' began heavy shelling of Guadalcanal, which was not to happen according to history, the ''Mirai'' launched Sea Sparrows to intercept the 18.1" rounds of Yamato. After intercepting numerous attempts to hit Guadalcanal the crew realized that they had a limited supply and Yamato had a whole magazine full of 18.1" rounds, and so they threatened to fire a missile at Yamato. When USS ''Wasp'' found the ''Mirai'', the American carrier launched many aircraft to destroy the advanced warship. The ''Mirai'' fired off several missiles to destroy a fraction of the total to try and frighten away the remaining. However they only continued attacking the advanced ship which forced the ''Mirai'' to tear apart the first wave with her weapons.

CIWS

The ''Mirai'' is armed with several close-in weapon systems (CIWS); these were used several times during the story, one of these times was to tear apart and finally explode an American Douglas SBD Dauntless when its pilot attempted to ram his aircraft in an almost Kamikaze-style move (he bailed out at the last second). These were also used to explode a bomb, CIWS are computer controlled and – according to the anime – have what is called "double A Auto mode."

ASROC

The ''Mirai'' uses ASROCs as an anti-submarine weapon; this was used at least once against what appears to be a ''Gato''-class submarine sent to hunt down what the Americans thought was a damaged IJN cruiser, but was in fact a JMSDF guided-missile destroyer. One crewman in the CIC, who was obviously worried and scared by instinct launched the ASROC without clearance from Masayuki. By firing this weapon, the U.S. submarine discovered the ''Mirai''s most powerful weapon: the missile. But because Masayuki did not want to sink the submarine and kill its crew, he self-destructed the ASROC a few meters away from the sub.

See also

* List of fictional ships
* JDS Ise is a real JMSDF ship with the designation DDH-182

References

{{Reflist

External links

JDS ''Mirai'' at KODANSHA site (Japanese)



Fictional ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force