A new guided missile ship is set to sail under the Japanese flag as Tokyo seeks to confront emerging threats against its interests in the ever-evolving security environment in the Asia-Pacific.
The construction of the lead ship of the Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV) programme has begun at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki Shipyard’s No.1 dry dock, with deployment scheduled as early as 2027.
The vessel will have a variety of armaments for various missions such as ballistic missile defence, air defence, anti-surface warfare, and land-attack operations.
The biggest destroyer in the world
As the programme’s name suggests, ships under the ASEV will be equipped with the Aegis System, an advanced naval combat system that will allow the vessel to track and engage threats simultaneously.
The system is used by United States naval forces, including Japan’s existing destroyers.
Under the programme’s plan, the ship will have a displacement of 14,000 tons at a 190-metre length and 25-metre beam, making it the largest destroyer in the world.
But what will make the ship truly remarkable is its design and capabilities that are expected to provide the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces (JMSDF) with a stronger presence against near-peer competitors in the Asia-Pacific.
The ASEV ship will be equipped with an AN/SPY-7 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a far more advanced version of the baseline SPY-1 radar.
Other suites include an AN/SPQ-9B horizon-search radar, an AN/SLQ-32(V)6 electronic warfare system, and an HGHS antenna dome. Three AN/SPG-62 illumination radars will also assist in terminal guidance of air defence missiles.
For firepower, the ASEV will feature 128 Mk 41 vertical launch cells, making it the most heavily armed of its kind, even surpassing the US Arleigh-Burke ships and China’s Renhai-class destroyers.
The ASEV will carry SM-3 and SM-6 missiles, as well as Tomahawk and Type 12 subsonic anti-ship missiles.
The increased VLS count will enable the ship to have enough ammunition to engage various threats, from ballistic missiles to low-flying threats such as drones,
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Japan’s answer to the Type-055 destroyer?
Experts believe that the ASEV will be a direct competitor to the Type-055 or Renhai-class destroyer, China’s multi-role combat platform capable of air defence, anti-ship warfare, anti-submarine operations, and long-range strike missions.
With six ships already serving the Chinese navy, the 13,000-ton Renhai ship is currently the most advanced among its Asian peers, with its capabilities still developing.
As Beijing’s premier surface combatant, Renhai destroyers escort the navy’s aircraft carriers. The ships are currently equipped with the new HQ-9C ship-to-air missile for increased protection.
This so-called arms race with Tokyo and Beijing mirrors a new era of relations between these two East Asian powerhouses that could dictate the geopolitical situation not only in Asia but in other regions.
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Wendellyn Mateo 
Carmela Calling