JS Kurobe

JS Kurobe
History
Japan
Name	Kurobe (くろべ)
Namesake	Kurobe
Ordered	1986
Builder	JFE, Kure
Laid down	31 October 1987
Launched	23 May 1988
Commissioned	23 March 1989
Homeport	Kure
Identification	MMSI number: 431999579 Callsign: JSQF Pennant number: ATS-4202
Status	Active
Class overview
Preceded by	Azuma class
Succeeded by	Tenryū class
General characteristics
Class and type	Training ship
Displacement	2,200–2,550 long tons (2,235–2,591 t) full load
Length	100.5 m (329 ft 9 in)
Beam	16.5 m (54 ft 2 in)
Draught	8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
Depth	3.97 m (13 ft 0 in)
Propulsion	4 × diesel engines
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range	5,500 nmi (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement	143
Electronic warfare & decoys	Target aircraft multiple control system BQM-34AJ high-speed target system Missile evaluation device
Armament	1 × OTO Melara 76 mm gun
Aircraft carried	4 x BQM-74E unmanned target aircraft Chaka III
Aviation facilities	Hangar and helipad

JS Kurobe (ATS-4202) is a training support ship of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Development and design

It is a ship for anti-aircraft shooting training support, and its main purpose is to launch and guide unmanned target aircraft. It was built as a complement to the air threat, higher performance of air defense weapons, and the obsolescence of the predecessor training ship JDS Azuma.

It is a flat deck type ship type, equipped with one 76-millimetre (3.0 in) single gun on the front deck. The target aircraft will be equipped with four BMQ-34AJ Firebee and four BQM-74E Chaka III, for a total of eight. These target aircraft are launched from the rear helipad, and up to three aircraft can be simultaneously guided and controlled by a four-sided phased array radar on the top of the ship's structure. A radar for evaluating shooting results is also installed separately.

Construction and career

Kurobe was laid down on 31 October 1987 at JFE Holdings, Kure and launched on 23 May 1988. The ship was commissioned on 23 March 1989.

In September 1990, a female Self-Defense Forces officer (correspondent, Naoko Matsuo, 3rd Lieutenant) became the first ship of the Maritime Self-Defense Force to be on board. On 24 June 1994 Kurobe was reorganized into the escort fleet as a ship under direct control.

On 26 March 2008 the 1st Maritime Training Support Corps was newly formed under the escort fleet and was incorporated together with JS Tenryū. In response to the Great East Japan Earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake, the vessel departed for the disaster area, Onagawa Town, Miyagi Prefecture, to aid in disaster relief.

Gallery

• 
  JS Kurobe underway, date unknown.
• 
  JS Kurobe at Hakata on 27 May 2012.
• 
  JS Kurobe on 24 May 2014.
• 
  JS Kurobe at Kure Naval Base on 15 September 2014.
• 
  JS Kurobe alongside JS Chihaya at Yokosuka on 10 October 2015.
• 
  JS Kurobe and JS Tenryū at Kure Naval Base on 23 November 2016.