The Maritime Self-Defense Force began construction of the Aegis-equipped from FY1988. And in FY2002 and 2003, a modified version,, was also added for its fleet. However, even after the four Kongō-class and two Atago-class destroyers had been commissioned, it was still necessary to build two more Aegis-equipped destroyers to replace, the best and last survivor of Tartar-equipped destroyers. The construction of these two Aegis-equipped destroyers was included in the :ja:中期防衛力整備計画 |National Defense Program Guidelines for FY2014 and beyond. The first ship, JS Maya, was built in the FY2015 budget.
Design
While it shares the same design characteristics as the Atago class, the Maya class possesses a larger hull to install a hybrid-electric propulsion system. Maya-class destroyers are engineered with a COGLAG propulsion system, a modification of the combined gas and gas propulsion system employing turbine-electric transmission for low-speed cruising. The JMSDF had been testing a COGLAG propulsion system on JS Asuka. Then, the adoption of the system for surface combatants began with the. While the Asahi-class system had a low voltage distribution of 450 volts, the Maya-class system is equipped with a more advanced system that can handle a high voltage distribution of 6,600 volts. The JMSDF already uses an integrated electric propulsion system for auxiliary vessels, and is expected to expand to surface combatant ships in the future in light of its future weapon accommodation.
Equipment
The Maya class features the newer Aegis Weapon System Baseline 9C, compared with the Atago class using the Baseline 7 system. With this system, these destroyers are equipped with the Cooperative Engagement Capability system. This will allow the ship to share surveillance or targeting information between other CEC equipped assets, whether that be from ships from the American or Australian Navy or from American or Japanese E-2 Hawkeye. In addion to the AWS, they are also equipped with an Aegis BMD 5.1 system; they are the first JMSDF Aegis vessels to be capable of ballistic missile defense from the time of its commissioning. In addition to the existing SM-2MR Block IIIBsurface-to-air missiles, the SM-6 will also be installed in the future. The SM-6 missiles can be networked to the CEC system and thus allow it to receive targeting information from other CEC equipped sources. While the primary role of the SM-6 is to intercept enemy aircraft and cruise missiles, the SM-6 is also capable of intercepting ballistic missiles in their terminal phase and can double as an anti-ship missile. As anti-ballistic missiles, these ships are equipped with the SM-3 Block IA, IB and IIA. The SM-3 Block IIA is the latest variant of the SM-3 missiles, being re-designed drastically to defend broader areas. The ship will use :ja:17式艦対艦誘導弾|Type 17 Ship-to-Ship Missiles, in addition to an existing Type 90. Future armaments for the ships is slated to include locally built railgun and laser point-defense system.
Ships in the class
Namesakes
Maya shares her name with the World War II era Japanese Takao-class heavy cruiserMaya, while Haguro shares her name with Myōkō-class heavy cruiser Haguro.
