Japanese Helicopter Carriers – recalling the British “Through Deck Cruisers” (the INVINCIBLE Class), the Japanese has their own answer, the “Helicopter Destroyer”.    The Helicopter Destroyer HYUGA has recently commissioned being 610 foot long, 18,000 ton warship and operates up to 11 (mostly SH-60 SEAHAWK helicopters from a full length flight deck.    The flight deck is capable of operating “Jump Jet” aircraft such as the HARRIER, though the Japanese Self Defence Force have no such aircraft. The primary function is anti-submarine warfare, but the Helicopter Destroyer gives Japan its first real power projection capability since 1945.

The HYUGA, which commissioned in March 2009, is the largest warship built in Japan since the Second World War and the Japanese constitution forbids it to have aircraft carriers, which explains the term Helicopter Destroyer.   The HYUGA is armed with 16 Mk41 Vertical Launch cells for anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.    There are also two 20mm PHALANX anti-missile cannon and two triple 12.75-inch torpedo mounts.    There is a crew of 350.    A second “HYUGA”, the ISE went into service on March 2011  and a third is planned.   These two ships were built to replace the two 7,000-ton HARUNA Class Helicopter Destroyers.

Why is the relevant ?   Well at the present Japan and China are in dispute over some island territories and the Chinese commission their first Aircraft Carrier earlier this year.   Watch this space.