Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems Co., Ltd. held a delivery
ceremony for ‘Mikuma’.
The event means the ship, the fourth Mogami-class FFM, was officially commissioned with the
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Mikuma named after the Mikuma River located in Oita Prefecture was launched by shipbuilder
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki on 10 December 2021.
The commissioning also marks its final departure from the Nagasaki Shipyard to its assignment
with the JMSDF's 13th Escort Division based in Sasebo Naval Base in Nagasaki Prefecture.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how deadly is the Mikuma - Fourth Mogami-class
frigate of Japan?
Let's get into the details.
The Mogami-class is to replace the JMSDF's aging fleet of Abukuma-class destroyer escorts
that have been in service since the late 1980s.
A total of 22 Mogami-class warships are planned by 2032, of which the first eight were under
contract by 2018; a pair is to be built each year.
The Mogami-class frigates were designed with efficiency and a high level of automation
in mind, together with a more compact design for reduced construction cost and a stealthy
hull and superstructure design for reduced cross-section against radar detection.
It has a length of 132.5 meters, a width of 16.3 meters, and a crew of 90 officers and
sailors.
The ship of this class has a displacement of 5,500 tons when fully loaded.
The ship has a maximum speed of more than 30 knots or 34.5 mph or 55.5 kph and is powered
by a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) propulsion configuration with two MAN 12V28/33D STC diesel
engines and a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine engine.
Its sensors include the Mitsubishi Electric OPY-2 multifunctional radar, Mitsubishi Electric
OAX-3 EO/IR sensors, Hitachi OQQ-11 anti-mine sonar, and NEC OQQ-25 anti-submarine sonar
suite that includes a hull-mounted system and a towed array sonar system.
Mogami-class frigates are armed with a BAE Systems Mk.45 Mod 4 127mm naval gun, two Japan
Steel Works RCWS for 12.7mm machine guns, and a 16-cell Mk. 41 VLS, an 11-cell Raytheon
SeaRAM CIWS, and two quadruple launchers for MHI Type 17 anti-ship missiles.
The 127 mm (5")/54 caliber (Mk 45) lightweight gun was built by United Defense which was
later acquired by BAE Systems Land & Armaments.
It consists of a 127 mm (5 in) L54 Mark 19 gun on the Mark 45 mount.
The mod 4 variant has a range of 37 km or 23 miles.
The Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching
system that provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats.
The Vertical Launch System (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Combat System.
It can be used to fire missiles like RIM-66 Standard, RIM-67 Standard, RIM-161 Standard
Missile 3, RIM-174 Standard ERAM, RGM-109 Tomahawk, RUM-139 VL-ASROC anti-submarine
missile, RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-air missile, RIM-162 ESSM, Joint Strike Missile.
SeaRAM CIWS or Sea-based Rolling Airframe Missile Close-in Weapon System that combines
the radar and electrooptical system of the Phalanx CIWS Mk-15 Block 1B (CRDC) with an
11-cell RAM launcher to produce an autonomous system—one which does not need any external
information to engage threats.
The missile can reach a speed in excess of Mach 2 and has a range of 10 km or 6.2 mi.
Type 17 anti-ship missiles are derived from Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile and have a
range of 250 miles or 400 km.
It has a Ka-band Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar seeker and a High Explosive
warhead.
According to Japan’s constitution adopted after the Second World War, it is a pacifist
country.
But situations have changed.
Several years prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Japan had already begun to realize
the need to strengthen its military security, which was a painful realization.
Earlier in 2015, the government got its parliament to reinterpret Article 9 and pass a series
of military legislation that reduces the restrictions on the Japanese military.
Mr. Abe, who retired as prime minister in September 2020 and was assassinated last year,
left an important legacy.
He recognized that the evolving security landscape required not just a boost in military equipment
but also a broader global role for Japan.
Current prime minister, Fumio Kishida has indicated that he would follow in Mr. Abe’s
footsteps.
Last December, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government released three new
national security strategy documents that, among other reforms, included the long-eschewed
acquisition of long-range precision strike missiles and a major military spending boost
that will give Japan the world’s third-biggest military budget, behind only the United States
and China.
It is likely that we may see a huge turnaround in Japan’s offensive capabilities.
Mikuma Mogami class warship is a compact but potent platform that can take out much larger
adversaries with its powerful Type 17 anti-ship missiles.