Kongo-class

Summary

Description

The Kongō-class destroyers are a group of guided-missile destroyers within the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force that stand out for their implementation of the advanced Aegis Combat System. This class of destroyers is among the very few outside the United States with Aegis capabilities. In order to advance their defensive measures, Japan decided in December 2003 to upgrade the Kongō-class destroyers with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, with installations and flight tests scheduled from 2007 to 2010. The JS Kongō was notably the first in the class to receive the BMD upgrade.

The push for a more advanced weapon system came after the JMSDF concluded that their existing fleets were inadequate to survive potential Soviet airstrikes, especially from advanced Tupolev Tu-22M bombers and AS-4 missiles. This concern initiated the pursuit of the Aegis Weapon System in the early 1980s, and by 1984 concrete implementation plans were set into motion, resulting in the Kongo class's construction under the 1988 fiscal year program.

Drawing inspiration from the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the design of the Kongō-class ships includes a shelter deck design with a widened hull to accommodate the superstructure housing four PESA antennas. This design also optimizes radar cross-section reduction. Although the propulsion systems largely mirror those found on the Arleigh Burke class, represented by four Ishikawajima-Harima LM2500 gas turbines, these destroyers are tailored with additional equipment to meet Japan's operational requirements, such as flag command facilities.

The armament profile of the Kongō-class ships is extensive. With an initial deployment of the SM-2MR Block IIIA surface-to-air missiles, and later the IIIB version, the destroyers have stepped up their defensive game to include the Aegis BMD 3.6 system for launching SM-3 Block IA and IB missiles against ballistic threats—stemming primarily from concerns regarding North Korea's missile capabilities. These vessels also include the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System with a mix of missiles, along with the HOS-302 torpedo tubes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, a 127 mm gun, and dual CIWS mounts for close defense.

Technical specifications