Naval News

Ship spotter photos by Twitter user ⚓︎アルザス⚓︎ @Alsace_class show Haguro sailing out of Japan Marine United’s shipyard at Isogo Ward in Yokohama.

Haguro is the second and final vessel of the Maya-class of destroyers. It is also the eighth Aegis destroyer of the JMSDF. Her keel was laid in January 2018 and she was launched on July 17th 2019. DDG-180 Haguro is expected to be commissioned with the JMSDF in 2021. First ship in class, DDG-179 JS Maya was commissioned on March 19 this year.

Like her sister-ship, the vessel is named after a mountain: Mount Haguro (羽黒山 Haguro-san). The previous vessel to bear this name was the famous heavy cruiser Haguro of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Commissioned in 1929, Haguro saw significant service during World War II, participating in nine naval engagements. She was sunk in 1945 during a fight with Royal Navy destroyers, one of the last major Japanese warships to be sunk in open waters during World War II.

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