 The "Chikuma" class was the final class of protected cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was followed by the of light cruisers.The "Chikuma"-class light cruisers were ordered as part of the 1907 Naval Expansion Program, based on lessons learned during the Russo-Japanese War.Along with the s, the "Chikuma" class was the first phase of a project to build a high speed navy based on the latest naval technologies.