Ishikari-class

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ordered the Ishikari in 1977 as a successor to the Chikugo class. Built by Mitsui Shipbuilding & Engineering, the vessel was originally planned under a Patrol Coastal ship, Escort (PCE) classification to replace aging submarine chasers and destroyer escorts lacking modern anti-submarine capabilities. The JMSDF ultimately designated the vessel as a standard destroyer escort.

The Ishikari design was the first JMSDF destroyer escort to utilize a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system. The configuration featured a gas turbine engine for high-speed boosting and a diesel engine for cruising. To optimize internal space, the ship utilized a center-superstructure layout rather than the flush decker style previously favored by the JMSDF. The vessel’s electronic suite included the OYQ-5 tactical data processing system, capable of receiving data via Link-14. In place of a dedicated air-search radar, the ship used an OPS-28 surface search and target acquisition radar and an FCS-2 gun fire-control system to track low-altitude aircraft and missiles. Armament shifted the vessel's role toward surface engagement through the integration of Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles and an automated Otobreda 76 mm gun.

JS Ishikari (DE-226) was commissioned in 1981 and assigned to the Ominato District Force, home-ported at Mutsu, Aomori. This deployment placed the vessel in the northernmost JMSDF district, facing the Russian Pacific Fleet. Evaluation of the design led the JMSDF to determine that the hull was too small for continued production, and the vessel was succeeded by the Yūbari class. JS Ishikari remained in service until its decommissioning in October 2007. The ship was stricken from the naval register in November 2008 and subsequently scrapped. The vessel's anchor is preserved in Ishikari, Hokkaido.