Takanami increases missile capacity with a common Mark 41 launcher

The five Takanamis follow the nine Murasames and effectively complete the quantity removed from the earlier plan with a modified design. A 5-inch gun replaces the 76 mm weapon, and thirty-two Mark 41 cells accommodate both ASROC and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles. This removes the need for Murasame's separate sixteen-cell Mark 48 Sea Sparrow launcher. Quad-packing ESSM allows more defensive missiles to fit within the Mark 41 system. The ships retain Phalanx and Type 90 anti-ship missiles while improving combat-system integration and aspects of their radar signature. A proposed replacement of the lattice mast was abandoned because the larger redesign would add expense. Construction from 2000 to 2004 follows the Murasame programme of 1993 to 2000, maintaining the flow of shipyard work.