JS Izumo – June 04, 2017

JS Izumo (DDH-183) is a helicopter carrier (officially classified by Japan as a helicopter destroyer) and the lead ship in the Izumo class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). She is the second warship to be named for Izumo Province, with the previous ship being the armored cruiser Izumo (1898).

JS Izumo at Alava Pier Subic Bay.

Izumo became operational in time to take part in a major August 2015 disaster drill conducted in Tokyo, alongside the Japan Coast Guard’s large patrol vessel Izu. The two vessels acted as casualty receiving and triage stations during the exercise.

The ship can carry up to 28 aircraft, or 14 larger aircraft. Only 7 ASW helicopters and 2 SAR helicopters are planned for the initial aircraft complement. For other operations, 400 troops and 50 3.5-ton trucks (or equivalent equipment) can also be carried. The flight deck has 5 helicopter landing spots that allow simultaneous landings and take-offs.

In May 2017 the Izumo was deployed to escort USNS Richard E. Byrd, a US supply vessel, to the area off Shikoku. The Richard E Byrd’s mission was to refuel another US warship that was defending against North Korean missiles. This was the first time a Japanese vessel was deployed to escort a US ship since security legislation was enacted in March 2016. A small protest took place at Yokosuka after the Izumo’s departure. The destroyer Sazanami also joined the mission.

First Published: wikipedia.org