In the 1970s, following reflections on the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam under President Richard Nixon's Nixon Doctrine, and the Soviet Union's economic stagnation and intensifying conflict with China, both superpowers entered a period known as detente. With the Basic Treaty between East and West Germany, the Helsinki Accords, and the SALT I negotiations, it seemed the Cold War might be ending.

However, on December 24, 1979, the Brezhnev administration invaded neighboring Afghanistan to support its communist regime. The United States reacted fiercely, imposing economic sanctions, scrapping SALT II, and boycotting the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Furthermore, when Ronald Reagan took office in 1981 and labeled the USSR an "evil empire," detente was completely abandoned. The two nations entered the "New Cold War," a period of renewed intense confrontation.

This influence extended to Japan. Following the collapse of detente, the Japanese government and Defense Agency decided to accelerate the development, procurement, and deployment of new equipment. The Maritime Self-Defense Force decided to move up the construction and commissioning schedules for twelve new Hatsuyuki-class destroyers and eight improved Asagiri-class destroyers. By 1985, all ships were in service. Furthermore, in response to the strengthening of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, additional destroyers were ordered. Thus, on September 7, 1986, a single destroyer was commissioned.

JS Shigure (DD-159)

Inheriting the name of the Imperial Japanese Navy's "lucky ship," she sets sail once again to protect Japan.

Overview of JS Shigure Name / Type: JS Shigure / General-purpose Destroyer (DD) Hull Number: DD-159 Home Port: Yokosuka Standard Displacement: 4,100 tons Full Load Displacement: 5,400 tons Length: 145 meters Beam: 15.4 meters Draft: 4.7 meters Max Speed: 30 knots Crew: Approx. 230 Armament 1 x OTO Melara 76mm/62 cal rapid-fire gun. 1 x Mk 16 ASROC 8-cell box launcher. 32 x Mk 41 VLS cells for Sea Sparrow. The VLS was installed between the ASROC launcher and the main gun following accelerated U.S. development. 2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS. 2 x HSS-2B anti-submarine helicopters.