Japan Mitsubishi Heavy Industries launches new stealth frigate…commissioned from next year
Excellent anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-aircraft performance…
Japan plans to possess a total of 22 ships…Intensifying competition for naval ships in Northeast Asia
The launch ceremony of the new stealth frigate, Mogami, launched at the Nagasaki Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan on the 3rd.[이미지출처=일본 해상자위대 트위터]
[아시아경제 이현우 기자] The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force announced that a new stealth frigate (FFM) scheduled to serve next year had a launch ceremony. The FFM ships are expected to play a role in controlling the Chinese fleet in the South China Sea area because of their excellent anti-ship capabilities, as well as anti-submarine and anti-air capabilities. As Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces are known to have a total of 22 ships and plan to greatly increase their naval power, the competition for naval ships in Northeast Asia is expected to intensify.
According to Japanese local media such as NHK on the 3rd, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force announced that the launching ceremony of the first FFM ship, Mogami, was held at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki Shipyard. Mogami was originally scheduled to launch in November of last year, but the launching ceremony was postponed as a problem emerged during the parts manufacturing process, and the launching ceremony was held only four months after the launch of the second ship,’Kuma’. The Maritime Self-Defense Force announced that Mogami plans to start commissioning next year.
The Mogami with a displacement of 3900 tons is a stealth escort with a length of 132.5 m and a width of 16 m, with reduced irregularities on the hull surface so that it cannot be easily detected by the radar network. The ship is known to be equipped with two diesel engines from Men’s Germany at about 30 knots. Equipped with anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, and a mine removal system, as well as anti-ship capabilities, anti-submarine and anti-aircraft capabilities are all evaluated as excellent. In addition, the number of crew members was reduced to about 90 people, which was reduced to about half of the existing frigates, and this is known as a measure taking into account the shortage of personnel of the Marine Self Defense Force.
It is known that the Maritime Self-Defense Force will produce up to 22 FFM ships, including 10 additional ships by 2023 at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to keep the Chinese fleet in check in the South China Sea.
Reporter Lee Hyun-woo [email protected]