JS Chōkai

JS Chōkai docked on 28 September 2005
History
Japan
Name	Chōkai (ちょうかい)
Namesake	Mount Chōkai
Ordered	1993
Builder	IHI Corporation
Laid down	29 May 1995
Launched	27 August 1996
Commissioned	20 March 1998
Homeport	Sasebo
Identification	MMSI number: 431999629 Pennant number: DDG-176
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Kongō-class destroyer
Displacement	7500 tons standard 9500 tons full load
Length	528.2 ft (161.0 m)
Beam	68.9 ft (21.0 m)
Draft	20.3 ft (6.2 m)
Propulsion	4 Ishikawajima Harima/General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines; two shafts, 100,000 shaft horsepower (75 MW)
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h)
Range	4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots (8,334 km at 37 km/h)
Complement	300
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPY-1D OPS-28 surface search radar OQS-102 bow mounted sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys	NOLQ-2 intercept / jammer
Armament	1 × 127 mm (5 in)/54 Caliber Oto Melara Compact Gun 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon Anti-ship Missile in quad canisters 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS 2 × HOS-302 triple torpedo tubes: Mark 46 torpedo Type 73 torpedoes 90-cell Mk. 41 Vertical Launching System: SM-2MR Surface-to-air missile SM-3 Anti-ballistic missile RUM-139 Anti-Submarine Rocket RIM-162 Surface-to-air missile
Aircraft carried	1 × SH-60K helicopter

JS Chōkai (DDG-176) is a Kongō-class guided missile destroyer in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Chōkai was named after Mount Chōkai. She was laid down by IHI Corporation in Tokyo on 29 May 1995 and was launched on 27 August 1996. Commissioning happened on March 20, 1998.

Following her commissioning in March 1998, she was dispatched to Hawaii for the Aegis System Equipment Qualification Test (SQT) until November 4, 1998

From May 16 to August 3, 2001, she participated in US dispatch training with the destroyers Hiei and Samidare.

Chōkai, along with the destroyer Ōnami and supply ship Hamana were assigned to the Indian Ocean in November 2004 to provide assistance to the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction and Support Group. She returned to Japan in March 2005.

From May 16 to August 1, 2007, she participated in US dispatch training with the destroyers Kurama and Inazuma.

From 9 September 2008 to December 8, 2008, she participated in ballistic missile defense tests for equipment certification, during which an interception from her RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 failed due to a malfunction of the warhead's orbit and attitude control system.

This ship was one of several in the JMSDF fleet participating in disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.^[1]

In 2012, Chōkai, along with Kongō and Myōkō were deployed in cooperation with the US Navy in preparation for the Democratic Republic of Korea to test the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2. However, the ships were withdrawn after the satellite did not violate Japanese airspace.^[2]

From June 7 to August 23, 2016, she participated in the biannual Exercise RIMPAC, conducted in the sea and airspace around Hawaii and the United States West Coast, accompanied by the helicopter carrier Hyūga.^[3]

In 2019, Chōkai participated in the Malabar naval exercise. She represented the JMSDF along with the Kaga, Samidare and a Kawasaki P-1. During this exercise, she took part in combat training, anti-submarine warfare training, naval gunnery training, anti-aircraft training, as well as offshore supply training.^[4]

Later in 2019, between October 15 and 17, Chōkai, along with the destroyer Shimakaze took part in the Canadian and Japanese joint exercise known as KAEDEX19-2 near Yokosuka, working alongside HMCS Ottawa.^[5]

As of April 2020, Chōkai is based in Sasebo.

• 
  JS Chōkai alongside USS Kitty Hawk on 10 December 2002
• 
  JS Chōkai launching a SM-3 on 19 November 2008
• 
  JS Chōkai underway on 17 November 2009
• 
  JS Chōkai and JS Kurama on 2 September 2011
• 
  JS Chōkai on 16 November 2012
• 
  JS Chōkai underway on 26 August 2013

• GlobalSecurity.org; JMSDF DDG Kongo Class

Media related to JS Chokai (DDG-176) at Wikimedia Commons