The 4,900 tons “YOT-01” is one of two vessels ordered last year by the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
According to Naval News Japan based contributor Yoshihiro Inaba, these ships will be used to transport fuel to front-line bases in Okinawa and the Nansei Islands, or to fuel anchored JMSDF vessels. As such, the tanker doesn’t have “fueling stations” and can not perform “UNREP” (underway replenishment) missions. The order is part of a contingency plan:
Currently, the JMSDF rely on civilian ships to transport fuel to these areas, but in case of war, the JMSDF could be denied transportation by these civilian contractors. Therefore, JMSDF will be able to transport the fuel on its own thanks to these new YOT vessels.
Yoshihiro Inaba, Japan based military writer
Founded in 1902 under the name of Habohama Docks, which became Kurushima in 1949 then Shin Kurushima in 1980 (Shin means “new”), the company is headquartered in Tokyo and is composed today of several yards located in Akasaka, Ujina (Honshū), Fukuoka (Kyūshū), Ōnishi and Imabari (Shikoku). Shin Kurushima specializes in small displacement transport vessels mainly for short range transit in the Japanese archipelago and its surroundings.
This oil tanker is scheduled to be commissioned next spring and will be responsible for transporting fuel from the refinery to the JMSDF base. This is the first time that the JMSDF owns an oil tanker.
JMSDF statement on Twitter
Local ships potter @crazyquail_BT was at the launch ceremony:
