The JDS Ayanami (DD-103) (あやなみ, namesake: Twilled Waves) was the first of the seven Ayanami-class destroyers that were built for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in the mid-1950s. She was part of a program to expand the JMSDF fleet size with larger and more capable vessels such as destroyers, following the Harukaze-class which were the first post-war destroyers of Japan. Although she was unofficially designated as a DDK/DDE, she was officially classified as a DD due to her size and displacement. She served as a reliable escort ship for many years. However, her armament was inadequate when she entered service but did not receive any major upgrades or modifications until her decommissioning in 1977.

It was introduced in Update "Danger Zone". Technically a destroyer, JDS Ayanami's light armament leads it to be classified as a frigate in-game and be put in the Coastal tree. Compared to the preceding Isuzu, Ayanami is better in every way, having another pair of dual-purpose 76 mm guns, double the number of torpedoes, and is faster and has more crew. The 6 dual-purpose guns and modern FCS allows it to destroy aircraft and fight MTBs and other frigates effectively. Unfortunately, it can meet large destroyer leaders and light cruisers like USS Somers or HMS Dido, which far outclass Ayanami in firepower and have the survivability and size to mostly ignore its guns. Ayanami can try to use its good accuracy and high rate of fire to target the guns of the larger ships, and then escape with smoke or close the distance and target them with torpedoes and depth charges.