The Kongos were built with cranes intended to reload their vertical launch systems at sea. Their successors abandoned that equipment as other navies were doing, although Japanese procurement is otherwise described as willing to depart from international trends. The fleet's expected operating area helps explain this choice. Even with some long patrols, its main task remained screening the home islands and sea routes, where ships could expect to return home to rearm. The later Atago arrangement recovers the missile cells occupied by the cranes.
Notable Point · 9:26-10:36
Home waters shape Japan's decision to remove VLS reload cranes
Later Japanese destroyers gain missile cells by dropping reloading cranes, a choice connected to operating close enough to rearm at home.