Aoshima 04818 J.M.S.D.F. DDG WAKATAKA & KUMATAKA

Hayabusa is the name of a class of modern Japanese rocket boats. Units of this type entered service in 2002-2004. In total, six units of this type were built. The Hayabusa-class ships are 50.1 meters long and 8.4 meters wide. Full displacement is around 240 tons and the maximum speed is clearly over 40 knots. They are armed with: four SSM-1B missile launchers, a single 76 mm cannon and two 12.7 mm machine guns. The Hayabusa class currently consists of six units: Hayabusa (lead unit), Wakataka, Otaka, Kumataka, Umitaka and Shiritaka. All these units were built at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Shimonoseki. Hayabusa-class boats were developed to replace the PG-class units in the line, i.e. the Italian Sparviero class, produced under license in Japan. Compared to their predecessors, the new units differ in almost every element: they are much larger, have a significantly larger crew, a larger radius of action, better seafaring and more elaborate electronic equipment. Units of this type are primarily used for patrol duty.