Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

General Atomics
  • News
  • Event News
    • CNE 2023
    • IMDEX Asia 2023
    • Sea Air Space 2023
    • DSEI Japan 2023
    • NAVDEX 2023
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» Event News» DSEI Japan 2023»BMT Pitches Landing Craft to Japan Self-Defense Force
Leonardo
BMT CAIMAN-90
BMT CAIMAN-90 landing craft scale model at DSEI Japan 2023

BMT Pitches Landing Craft to Japan Self-Defense Force

British naval design firm BMT exhibited a model of its CAIMAN-90 high-speed landing craft at DSEI Japan, March 15-17, 2023, near Tokyo.

Yoshihiro Inaba 28 Mar 2023

CAIMAN-90 is a compact landing craft with an overall length of 30 meters, a width of 7.7 meters, and a drainage capacity of 203 tons. The craft is characterized by its high speed performance and excellent loading capacity.

As for speed, the ship is equipped with three diesel engines and three water jets each, and thanks in part to its excellent hull design, it is capable of 22 knots when fully loaded and 40 knots when unloaded. In terms of loading capacity, it can carry 90 tons of vehicles and supplies, meaning that it can transport main battle tanks (MBTs) and armored vehicles currently in operation around the world.

This CAIMAN-90 landing craft could be important an important asset for the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). This is because, within the next five years, the JSDF plans to introduce a craft of this type. Japan’s Defense Buildup Program, published in December 2022, specifies the introduction of “maneuverable boats (機動舟艇)” in the JSDF. The purpose of the maneuverable boats is to transport Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) troops to be able to defend the numerous islands (Southwest Islands) that Japan holds in view of the current growing military threat from China in the East China Sea and the situation in Taiwan.

Currently, the JGSDF aims to rapidly deploy units stationed throughout Japan to wherever they are needed, and the Defense Buildup Program states the following:

“Regarding the basic operational units, the 15th Brigade will be reorganized into a division in order to strengthen the defense architecture in the southwestern region. The other eight divisions, five brigades, and one armored division will be operated on the basis of rapid deployment in order to deter and respond immediately to various situations effectively and rapidly. In addition, units with specialized functions such as airborne units, amphibious rapid deployment units and air rapid deployment units will be also operated on the basis of rapid deployment.”

And to achieve this goal, it is necessary not only to change the structure of the unit, but also to secure the unit’s means of transportation. This is where maneuverable boats become essential. Furthermore, as a problem unique to Japan, the Southwest Islands are a mix of coral reefs, rocky reefs, and shallow waters, making it difficult for large transport vessels to land troops in many areas. In comparison, maneuverable boats can operate in these waters without problems.

With construction and deployment to take place over the next five years, the Japanese Ministry of Defense is expected to soon hold a competition to select a company to sign a contract for maneuverable boats, and BMT’s CAIMAN-90 could be a strong candidate for the project.

Check out our video interview with BMT during DSEI Japan 2023:

Amphibious Warfare Japan Landing Craft 2023-03-28
Tags Amphibious Warfare Japan Landing Craft
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More
Indo Pacific 2023

Authors

Posted by : Yoshihiro Inaba
Yoshihiro Inaba is a Freelance Writer based in Shizuoka, Japan. He is one of the few young military writers in Japan and is currently a student studying international law (especially self-defense and use of force) at a Japanese graduate school. He is particularly familiar with Japan's Ground, Maritime and Air Self-Defense Forces.

Related Articles

UK Aircraft Carrier to Return to the Indo-Pacific in 2025

UK Aircraft Carrier to Return to the Indo-Pacific in 2025

Xavier Vavasseur 23 May 2023
The United Kingdom will deploy, again, a carrier strike group (CSG) to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.
Japan is Looking for a New Class of FFM Frigates

Japan is Looking for a New Class of FFM Frigates

Kosuke Takahashi 17 May 2023
The JMSDF is seeking a new variant of multi-mission stealth frigates for fiscal year 2024 and beyond. The project is officially called “new-class FFM”.
Japan Doubles Down on Standoff Missiles to Deter China

Japan Doubles Down on Standoff Missiles to Deter China

Yoshihiro Inaba 15 May 2023
On April 11, 2023, Japan's Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced that it had signed a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for various long-range missiles...

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok