Izumo-class

Helicopter destroyer class built by Japan Marine United for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the largest surface combatants operated by Japan since World War II. Lead ships JS Izumo and JS Kaga are undergoing conversion to operate F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing fighters alongside their original anti-submarine helicopter role.

In service since 2015 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

19,500

6,000

nmi

470

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Japan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2015. Status: active · ~2 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 2x Phalanx CIWS, 2x SeaRAM launchers

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 248 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 19,500 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.: 26,000 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.: 30 kn

Stronger than 74% of warships
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.: 6,000 nmi

Stronger than 50% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 470
Aircraft carried Embarked aircraft/helicopters. Higher extends the ship’s sensor and strike reach.: 14

Stronger than 68% of warships
Propulsion plant Machinery type — nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.: COGAG, 4x LM2500IEC gas turbines

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.: OYQ-12 combat direction system with multi-function radar suite

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 2

Stronger than 28% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 45% of warships

Specifications compiled from public Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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