Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems Co., Ltd. held a delivery ceremony and a “self-defense ship flag raising ceremony” today for the Yubetsu (ゆうべつ). The event means the ship, the eighth Mogami-class FFM, was officially commissioned with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Yubetsu was inducted into Escort Division 15, headquartered at the Ominato naval base in Aomori Prefecture. This is the first deployment of the Mogami-class to Ominato.
The Yubetsu became the second Mogami-class frigate equipped with the Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS) following the Niyodo, or the seventh Mogami-class FFM, which was commissioned on May 21. The first six ships of the class are slated to be equipped with the VLS at a later date.
Yubetsu, named after the Yubetsu River (湧別川, Yubetsu-gawa) located in the northeast of Hokkaido, was launched by the shipbuilder in Tamano City of Okayama Prefecture on 14 November 2023.
Originally, it was scheduled to be commissioned in fiscal year 2024 that ended on 31 March 2025. However, the spokesperson at the JMSDF said the commissioning of the Yubetsu was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and delays in the delivery of semiconductors.
The FFM (also known as 30FFM and previously known as 30DX) is the next generation multi-mission frigate designed for the JMSDF. A total number of 12 frigates are expected to be procured for the JMSDF.
Equipped with its compact, stealthy hull shape, JS Yubetsu was built for about 47.4 billion yen ($326 million) under a contract awarded in August 2022. As with the other ships of the class, the 3,900-tonne vessel will have a crew complement of about 90, a beam of 16.3 m, and a hull draught of 9 m.
Powered by a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion system featuring two MAN 12V28/33D STC diesel engines and one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, the Mogami-class is capable of attaining a top speed of more than 30 knots. The Mogami-class marks the first instalment of a CODAG system on any JMSDF ship.
The FFM is equipped with a wide variety of weapons and systems as listed below:
BAE Systems 5-inch (127-mm) 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun system ×1
Japan Steel Works 12.7mm Remote Weapon System ×2
Mk.41 VLS (16 cells)
Raytheon SeaRAM ×1
MHI Type 17 surface-to-ship guided missile (SSM-2) 4-tube launcher x 2
Mitsubishi Electric OPY-2 multifunction Radar
Mitsubishi Electric OAX-3EO/IR sensors
Hitachi OQQ-11 anti-mine sonar
NEC OQQ-25 anti-submarine sonar (VDS/TASS)
UUV (OZZ-5 by MHI) and USV (by JMU Defense Systems) for mine countermeasures
Sea mines for offensive mine warfare
Succeeding the Mogami-class, the Japanese defense ministry plans to acquire a new class of 12 “New FFMs”. The first two New FFMs are scheduled to be commissioned in fiscal year 2028, and if construction proceeds smoothly, all 12 New FFMs will be in service by fiscal year 2032.
