is the fifth vessel of the s of the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force The , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...

(JMSDF).

Design

The hull design is generally based on that of the . However, when weapon layout was changed, the internal structure was also changed. The large lattice mast was thought to have a negative impact on the stealthiness of the ''Murasame'' class, so in ''Takanami'' class, a planned change to two smaller masts was conceived, but was not implemented. Although its displacement become slightly increased, there is no change in its main engines, as it is not a big difference that has little effect on the performance of the ship.

Construction and career

''Suzunami'' was authorized under the Medium-term defense buildup plan of 1996, and was built by IHI Marine United shipyards in

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

. She was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

on 24 September 2003 and launched on 26 August 2004. The destroyer was commissioned into service on 16 February 2006, and was initially assigned to the JMSDF Escort Flotilla 3 based at

Maizuru, Kyoto is a city in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 78,644 in 34,817 households and a population density of 230 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Prefectu ...

. ''Suzunami'', along with the fleet oiler ''Hamana'' were assigned to the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

in March 2007 to provide assistance in refueling anti-terrorist coalition forces in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

as part of

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

. She returned to Japan in July 2007. On 25 March 2008, she was reassigned to the JMSDF Escort Flotilla 1, based at

Yokosuka, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 373,797, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th-most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city is ...

. On 21 July 2009, ''Suzunami'', along with the fleet oiler ''Oumi'', was again dispatched for coalition refueling operations in the Indian Ocean. She returned to Japan on the completion of this mission on 24 December 2009. On 8 April 2010, while monitoring a fleet of five

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy, also known as the People's Navy, PLA Navy or simply Chinese Navy, is the naval warfare military branch, branch of the People's Liberation Army, the national military of the People's Republic of China. It i ...

warships in international waters in the

East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...

, ''Suzunami'' was buzzed at abnormally low altitude by a Chinese helicopter. This incident led the Japanese government to file a protest against the Chinese government on 12 April. On 1 August 2011, she was reassigned to the JMSDF Escort Flotilla 3, based at Ōminato,

Aomori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...

. On 13 August 2012 ''Suzunami'' was dispatched to

Aden, Yemen Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

, as part of ongoing anti-piracy escort operations off the coast of Somalia. The context for this extended deployment off the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

was the "Law on the Penalization of Acts of Piracy and Measures Against Acts of Piracy (Anti-Piracy Measures Law)". During these deployments, she made a port call at

Port Klang Port Klang () is the principal port of Malaysia on the Strait of Malacca. Known during colonial times as Port Swettenham (), it was renamed to Port Klang in July 1972 and has since become the largest port in the country. It is located about sou ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

from 29 to 30 December.Malaysia Flying Herald 31 December 2012
/ref> ''Suzunami'' returned to Yokosuka on 10 June 2013 and remains assigned to the Third Squadron of the JMSDF Escort Flotilla 3.

Notes

References

* *Saunders, Stephen. ''IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2013-2014''. Jane's Information Group (2003). {{DEFAULTSORT:Suzunami (DD-112) 2004 ships Takanami-class destroyers Ships built by IHI Corporation