On August 31, Japan's Ministry of Defense announced the draft proposed budget requirements for 2023 (Reiwa 5), reaching a new high of 5.59 trillion yen (about 278.5 billion yuan). One of the most eye-catching is the large surface combat ship currently known as the "Aegis System Ship".
The artist's imagination of the "Aegis System Ship" previously released by the United States Loma follows the design of Japan's current Aegis ship and carries the SPY-7 radar
The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) reported on August 31 that the new ship is expected to be under 210 meters in length, 40 meters in width, and the standard displacement is about 20,000 tons, which is comparable to the Izumo class (standard row of 19,950 tons) in the Sea of Japan, and is expected to become the largest ship in the Japanese Sea.
The Jiji News Agency reported on September 1 that some people in the Self-Defense Forces have called it "the Reiwa version of the battleship Yamato."
The Izumo helicopter carrier, commissioned in 2015, officially said the standard displacement of 19,950 tons in Japan
The Ministry of Defense explained that the new ship will be mainly used for long-term maritime anti-missile vigilance, and large-scale is conducive to reducing sea swing; It also leaves room for the addition of anti-superiority and laser weapons in the future. The relevant person from the Ministry of Defense added that the new ship will continue to use the SPY-7 radar of the "land-based Aegis" system, which is heavier than the radar used by the current Aegis ship, and in order to balance the center of gravity, it is necessary to increase the hull.
The new ship's crew is expected to be 110 people, about one-third of the current Aegis ships, and the entire crew enjoys a separate room.
In terms of armament, it will carry SM-3 Block 2A and SM-6 missiles for air defense and anti-missiles.
In addition, the Yomiuri Shimbun learned on August 16 that the Ministry of Defense is studying the loading of new cruise missiles on board the ship to provide it with the "counterattack capability" of destroying enemy missile launch bases. The new missile is based on the Land-Type 12 shore ship missile, with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. "Yomiuri Shimbun" reported on the 23rd that the new ship will also carry an improved version of the Land-Based 03 medium-range surface-to-air missile (Naka SAM), and the new missile has improved the ability to predict the trajectory of the enemy missile.
In this draft, the Ministry of Defense has set aside the design fee and engine purchase cost of the new ship. The first is expected to enter service by the end of fiscal 2027 and the second by the end of fiscal 2028.
The GUIDED-MISSILE DESTROYER MAYA, commissioned in 2020, officially claims a standard displacement of 8,200 tons in Japan
In 2017, the Japanese government announced the introduction of two U.S.-made "land-based Aegis" systems, originally scheduled for deployment in Yamaguchi and Akita Prefectures at the northern and southern ends of Honshu Island, for service in 2025, citing ballistic missile launches from North Korea. After completion, in addition to greatly strengthening Japan's anti-missile capabilities, it will also be able to save valuable Aegis ships in the Sea of Japan for use in hot spots such as the East China Sea.
However, in 2019, the media exposed that the Ministry of Defense had serious flaws in the selection of sites, and the deployment plan was widely questioned by the public. In June 2020, the newly appointed Defense Minister Taro Kono finally made a decision to stop the land-based deployment plan. In December of the same year, an alternative was proposed, with the construction of two surface ships carrying new radars.
The concept of "missile defense ship" previously proposed by American manufacturers is based on The San Antonio-class landing ship, equipped with a large phased array radar and a vertical hair device
The current affairs agency said that the specific cost of the new ship is uncertain due to the uncertainty of specific details, but it cannot be ruled out that the construction cost will exceed the latest Maya class and be higher than the shore-based Aegis system of about 400 billion yen. In the current severe fiscal situation, it is necessary for the government to explain to the outside world whether the plan has an effective cost ratio.
At the end of the report, the Jiji News Agency quoted relevant people from the Self-Defense Forces: The battleship Yamato was built with a lot of money in wartime, and the "cannon giant ship doctrine" was already behind the times when it was completed. The new ship will most likely be like Yamato.
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