Hatsuyuki - class destroyer The " Hatsuyuki " class destroyer is a class of Japan ese destroyer , serving with the Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force ( JMSDF ) . It was the third generation of general purpose destroyers , though like its predecessor , the , the main task is anti - submarine warfare . The class was completed between 1982 and 1987 . Due to its size it would be more appropriately classed as a frigate . Design and development . This class is made a number of firsts among general purpose destroyers of the JMSDF . It was the first class to use Combined gas or gas ( COGOG ) propulsion system . The all - gas - turbine propulsion system is composed of two Kawasaki - Rolls - Royce Tyne RM1C gas turbines for cruising and two Kawasaki - Rolls - Royce Olympus TM3B gas turbines for high speed operation . It introduced the concept of total ship systems engineering with an integrated combat system . The core of the combat system is the OYQ - 5 Tactical Data Processing System ( TDPS ) . The OYQ - 5 TDPS is composed of one AN / UYK - 20 computer and five OJ - 194B workstation s , and capable of receiving data automatically from other ships via Link - 14 ( STANAG 5514 ) . This is the first destroyer class in the JMSDF equipped with the Sea Sparrow Improved basic point defense missile system and Boeing Harpoon surface - to - surface missile system for AAW and ASuW respectively . The IBPDMS of this class uses FCS - 2 fire - control system s of Japanese make and one Mk . 29 octuple launcher at the afterdeck . The class introduced the capability to operate an ASW Helicopter . While the JMSDF already had the " Haruna " class of " helicopter destroyer " , the " Hatsuyuki " class were the first air - capable general purpose destroyer class . Although it has a small aviation deck , through a beartrap system , the class can operate the Sikorsky HSS - 2B Sea King anti - submarine helicopter safely in a wider range of weather conditions . The " Shirayuki " ( DD - 123 ) was retrofitted with the Phalanx CIWS system in early 1982 , the modification was then applied to the rest of the class gradually - being completed by 1996 . The " Matsuyuki " ( DD - 130 ) was fitted with a towed sonar array in 1990 , followed by the " Hatsuyuki " ( DD - 122 ) in 1994 , work ongoing to apply the fit to the rest of the class . From DD - 129 onwards , steel replaced aluminium for key elements of the superstructure , including the bridge , this increased the overall displacement . " Hatsuyuki " and " Shirayuki " are named after World War II destroyers . " Shimayuki " ( DD - 133 ) was re - classed as a training vessel on 18 March 1999 . As of March 5 , 2013 , it was being reported that the Japanese government were considering the transfer of four small destroyers [ frigates ] ( later confirmed to be of the Hatsuyuki class ) from the MSDF to the Japan Coast Guard , in light of the extreme strains on the latter ' s resources due to current events . Of the four , one has already been decommissioned ( in March 2013 ) , with the other three to decommission over the course of FY2013 . If the transfer goes ahead , the four vessels will likely be modified to JCG requirements ( e . g . removal of the Harpoon launchers ) and redesignated as PLHs .