日本最大護衛艦舉行下水禮

Last month the NHK News on-line reported the following:

海自最大の護衛艦「いずも」進水

8月6日 17時32分

全長およそ２５０メートルと、海上自衛隊で最大となる護衛艦の進水式が、横浜市で行われました。
多くのヘリコプターを運用できる空母のような形が特徴で、来年度末に部隊に配備される予定です。

６日に進水したのは、海上自衛隊のヘリコプター搭載型の護衛艦「いずも」で、およそ１２００億円をかけて建造が進められています。
６日、建造に当たっている横浜市の造船会社で、防衛省や海上自衛隊の関係者らが出席して進水式が行われました。
「いずも」は全長およそ２５０メートル、基準排水量およそ１９５００トンと、海上自衛隊で最も大きく、最大で１４機のヘリコプターを搭載できます。
艦橋を甲板の片側に寄せた空母のような形が特徴で、同時に５機のヘリコプターが発着でき、海上自衛隊では周辺海域のさまざまな事態に対応する能力が向上できるとしています。
防衛省はこの護衛艦について、「戦闘機の発着は想定していない」として、専守防衛の立場から政府見解で保有が許されないとされている「攻撃型空母」には当たらないと説明しています。
防衛省では同じ型の護衛艦をもう１隻建造する予定で、「いずも」は今後、装備などを取り付けたあと、来年度末に部隊に配備される予定です。

(試譯文)

A launching ceremony was held in Yokohama for a convoy; with about 250 meters in full length it would serve as the biggest in the Maritime Self Defense Force.

It featured a shape that looked like an aircraft carrier where many helicopters could be employed, and it would be deployed into a unit at the end of next year.

Launched on the 6^th (August), it was a helicopter loading type convoy of the Maritime Self Defense Force: “Izumo”; its construction was in progress and it would cost about 120 billion yen.

On the 6th the launching ceremony was held in a shipbuilding company in Yokohama which was responsible for the construction. The staff of the Ministry of Defense and the Maritime Self Defense Force was present.

"Izumo" was about 250 meters in full length, the full-load displacement was about 19500 tons; it was the largest in the Maritime Self Defense Force and could carry 14 helicopters at the maximum.

Featuring the shape of an aircraft carrier, it brought near the enclosed bridge to one side of the deck, and supposedly that five helicopters could depart and arrive simultaneously. It would improve the Maritime Self Defense Force’s capability to correspond to various situations in the surrounding ocean area.

The Ministry of Defense was explaining that "the arrival and departure of fighter plane are not assumed" in this convoy. It did not suppose to possess the "attacked type aircraft carrier" as it was not allowed by the government from the defense position based on its exclusively defensive point of view.

In the Ministry of Defense, one more convoy of the same model was due to be built. From now on it would fit “Izumo” with the equipment etc., after that deployed it into a unit at the end of next year.

It seems that Japan is gradually building up its military might at sea.