The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's Takanami, first of a new class of "4,600-ton" escort destroyers, is seen here shortly after launch on 13 July at Ishihawa-Harima Heavy Industries' Tokyo yard. Eight ships of this design, displacing about 5,300 tons full load, are planned, with the Takanami scheduled to be commissioned next March along with a sister launched last month by Mitsubishi at Nagasaki. The 495-foot ships differ from the preceding "4,400-ton" Murasame class primarily in having a single 32-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system (VLS) for Standard SM-2 and vertical-launch ASROC missiles; the Murasames have a 16-cell Mk 41 system devoted exclusively to ASROC missiles and a 16-cell Mk 48 VLS for RIM-7M Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles. The Takanami class also will carry a 127-mm 54-caliber OTOBreda dual-purpose gun in place of the 76-mm gun used on the nine Murasame-class ships, the last two of which, the Akebono and Ariake, are to be commissioned next March. Both classes are propelled by the same unusual combination of two Rolls Royce Spey SM1C cruise gas turbines and two General Electric boost gas turbines, with all four engines Berated to provide only 64,000 maximum shaft horsepower total.
The Swedish Navy, in the process of modernization, also is being reduced in numbers as a result of economic pressures and a perceived reduction in the overall maritime threat. The disestablishment of the 18th Fast Patrol Boat Squadron at Karlskrona on 1 July left Sweden's west coast without a single combatant warship based there; the number of active submarines has been reduced to five (although after 2004, all will have airindependent auxiliary propulsion systems); the impressive 620-ton Visby class of stealth multirole patrol combatants has been cut to 6 from the planned 20; and the smaller missile craft and mine warfare forces are being severely pruned. The current major upgrade to the two 335-ton Stockholm-class missile craft, however, will bring the Swedish missile boat force to 12 fully modern units by 2008, when the last Visby, the Uddevalla, is completed. The photo shows the Kalmar, one of four 425ton Goteborg-class missile boats, visiting British waters this May wearing a new, subdued gray-tone camouflage scheme.
The 20,710-ton Royal Navy aircraft carrier Ark Royal is seen on trials following an extensive reactivation and modernization overhaul that began in May 1999 at Rosyth, Scotland. Like sisters Invincible and Illustrious, the Ark Royal sacrificed her Sea Dart surface-to-air missile system in favor of an enlarged flight deck to allow a larger aircraft complement The Ark Royal, however, retains two 20-mm Phalanx close-in weapon systems (CIWS), while the other two ships have two 30-mm Goalkeeper CIWS mounts. When the Ark Royal reenters active service next spring, she will be the first warship to be assigned operational Merlin HM.1 heavy antisubmarine helicopters; the full air group is to consist of six Sea Harrier FA.2 and four Harrier GR.7 fighter-bombers, seven Merlins, and three Sea King AEW.2A radar surveillance helicopters. Royal Navy Sea Harriers and Royal Air Force Harriers now come under a single Joint Force Harrier command. The Invincible was placed in reduced-readiness reserve this May to await a reactivation and modernization overhaul in 2003 in preparation to relieve the Illustrious as an active, deployable carrier. The two active/one reserve rotation will be ended when two larger replacement carriers enter service in 2012 and 2015.