The Shirane class incorporates an improved design based on the Haruna-class destroyers. The ships propulsion include two steam boilers with two shafts that produce 70.000 hp and gives a maximum speed of 32 knots.
Its armament includes two Mk.42 127mm guns, two 20-mm Phalanx close-in weapon systems, one surface-to-air RIM-7 Sea Sparrow launcher, torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets.[1] The ships has been replaced by the new s.
| Pennant no. | Name | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Home port | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DDH-143 | 25 February 1977 | 18 September 1978 | 17 March 1980 | 25 March 2015 | Yokosuka | ||
| DDH-144 | 17 February 1978 | 20 September 1979 | 27 March 1981 | 22 March 2017 | Sasebo |
On December 15, 2007, a fire broke out on board Shirane near the rudder house as it was anchored at Yokosuka. It took seven hours to extinguish the fire, which injured four crew members.[2]
On 27 October 2009, JS Kurama collided with a South Korean container ship under the Kanmonkyo Bridge in the Kanmon Straits off the coast of Japan.[3] While neither ship sunk, the bow of Kurama was badly damaged and burned for hours. Three Kurama crew members were reported injured.[4]