Japan decommissions first Asagiri-class destroyer

Asagiri , seen here while it was in Sydney Harbour in 2014. (Janes/Russell Smith)

Japan has decommissioned the first of its Asagiri-class destroyers.

The retirement was announced on 23 March by the Maizuru District Headquarters of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

In a statement posted on its official X account, the command announced that Asagiri had reached its final day in service at its home port of Maizuru.

The vessel entered commission in March 1988 and operated for 38 years, including periods in both the destroyer and training ship roles.

Asagiri was the first of an eight‑ship class constructed between the mid‑1980s and early 1990s by Japanese shipyards including Ishikawajima‑Harima, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, and Hitachi.

The destroyer was delivered in March 1988 as the class leader and later underwent a conversion to a training ship in 2005 before being restored to front-line service in 2012.

The Asagiri class has a full‑load displacement of approximately 4,900 tonnes, an overall length of 137 m, and a beam of 14.6 m.

Propulsion is delivered by four Spey SM1C gas turbines in a combined gas and gas (COGAG) configuration, producing a top speed of around 30 kt.

The ships embark a crew of approximately 220 personnel and are equipped with a flight deck and hangar supporting a single SH‑60J Seahawk helicopter.

In terms of armament, the class fields an eight‑cell Mk 112 anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) launcher for anti‑submarine warfare, a Mk 29 launcher firing Sea Sparrow surface‑to‑air missiles, and two four‑round Harpoon anti‑ship missile launchers.

Gun systems include a 76 mm Oto Melara main gun and a pair of Phalanx close‑in weapon systems.