The Mogami-class frigate is one of the most significant symbols of the change in tactical
thought in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, shortly JMSDF.
Besides, analysing this new surface combatant would give clues to the new order in the region.
As the Weapons Detective, we are investigating the Mogami-class, the frigate that tells the
new order in the Western Pacific.
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The Mogami-class, also known as 30FFM-class, has no brand new dazzling capabilities compared
with the other recent frigates of the modern navies.
It is a high-tech surface combatant, but so do its counterparts.
The Mogami-class stands out not because of its unique superior technical features but
because it represents the transformation in the JMSDF and the region.
For a long time, the Japanese had not preferred using the term frigate.
But, it does not mean that the JMSDF had never operated this warship type.
The last Japanese surface combatant classified as a frigate was a former U.S. Tacoma-class
JDS Kaya, decommissioned in 1972.
But, the JMSDF continued to use the old classification, which had also been embraced by the U.S. Navy
during that time.
Japan had escort destroyers, which were reclassified as frigates in modern navies after 1975.
The last example of these escort destroyers, the Abukuma-class, were commissioned in 1972,
and they are still in service of the JMSDF.
Even when it began the study phase of the Mogami-class frigates in 2005, Japan still
described the new ship as a destroyer.
Initially, the staff of the JMSDF worked on a U.S. littoral combat ship-like surface combatant,
which would use the existing equipment at the time.
During that period, Japan considered many alternatives, including trimaran hull design.
However, it quickly realized that the new ship would be too expensive.
Even though Japan evaluated sacrificing some capabilities, it was impossible to reduce
the costs as desired.
So, the study was prolonged.
In 2013, the JMSDF decided to increase the number of surface combatants from 47 to 54.
The new warship would not belong to existing escort groups of the fleet.
They would also have information gathering and monitoring capabilities.
At first glance, five to six ships would be enough to answer this requirement.
But, until they are ready, some older surface combatants will be retired.
Thus, the programme was expanded to build more ships with compact hulls and improved
abilities to respond to various missions.
At this point, the project was called Multi-mission Escort Ship.
The JMSDF decided to change the classification from the destroyer to frigate and redefined
the new ship as FFM.
The letter M defines the multi-mission feature and the mine warfare capability.
To keep costs low and accelerate the programme, the JMSDF decided to install only the minimum
equipment during the first phase of the construction.
Some subsystems, such as the vertical launching system, would be fitted later.
Before this programme, Japan had assigned shipbuilders to construct the ships.
Now, Tokyo decided to implement a new model; all available companies would compete with
each other.
After evaluation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries became the main contractor and Mitsui Engineering
& Shipbuilding the subcontractor.
Later, the first company absorbed the second.
So, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries became the sole contractor.
In 2018, the JMSDF ordered the first two frigates.
The first ship of the class, JS Mogami, was laid down on October 29, 2019, and the second,
JS Kumano, one day later.
But, due to technical problems experienced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsui Engineering
& Shipbuilding launched the JS Kumano on November 19, 2020, four months before the JS Mogami.
She was also commissioned on March 22, 2022, over a month before her sister.
These two frigates are currently assigned to the Mine Warfare Force of the JMSDF in
Yokosuka Base.
Like other modern frigates, the Mogami-class has a stealthy design.
The integrated mast of the ship, a.k.a.
the unicorn mast, also reduces the radar cross-section.
Each sensor and electronic system attached to the mast is arranged in a columnar module
to avoid radio wave interference.
The design that allows easy access makes the repair, maintenance and upgrade works for
the mast electronics simple.
The computers have open architecture software that makes the update works easy.
The Mogami-class frigates have Link 22 capability.
Initially, the Japanese planned to equip these ships with water jet propulsion systems that
would provide a top speed of 40 knots.
But later, the JMSDF added overseas operations, such as anti-piracy, to the mission definition
of the Mogami-class.
Also, one of the job definitions of the new surface combatant, the monitoring missions,
did not require high speed.
The high speed would increase fuel consumption and reduce endurance.
The JMSDF has settled with 30 knots of top speed.
So, the Mogami-class is fitted with a combined diesel and gas propulsion system with two
conventional variable-pitch propellers.
The Mogami-class can lay the sea mines and also hunt them.
At least on the paper.
As mentioned earlier, Japan has fitted these ships with only the minimum equipment to keep
costs low and accelerate the programme.
Soon, the Mogami-class frigates will be fitted with the OQQ-11 anti-mine warfare sonar.
Besides, they will carry unmanned underwater vehicles for mine hunting.
The Mogami-class frigate has a 90-person crew.
Its standard displacement is 3,900 tons, while its fully-loaded displacement is 5,500 tons.
The ship has a length of 133 metres and a beam of 16.3 metres.
The combined diesel and gas propulsion system consists of two MAN V28/33DD STC diesel engines
and one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, which produce 70,000 horsepower together.
Its top speed is 30 knots.
The ship currently has one 127mm Mk 45 Mod 4 gun, one SeaRAM close-in weapon system,
and two 324mm three-tube torpedo launchers.
As you see, the Mogami-class frigates are not fully armed yet.
Let's closely look at the current armament of the ship first and then its future weapons.
The 127mm 62 calibre Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun has a stealthy turret design.
Its rate of fire is 40 rounds per minute.
The gun's maximum range is 37,000 metres.
The SeaRAM close-in weapon system combines the radar and electro-optical system of the
Mk 15 Phalanx Block 1B with an 11-cell RAM short-range air defence missile launcher.
Unlike the RAM, this system can act autonomously from the ship's radar.
Thanks to its passive radar homing capability and infrared guidance system, the SeaRAM can
intercept stealth anti-ship missiles.
The effective range of the air defence missile with Mach 2 speed is over 9 kilometres.
The JMSDF will soon equip the Mogami-class frigates with eight Type 17 anti-ship missiles
with 400 kilometres range, also known as SSM-2.
It is the ship-based version of the land-based Type 12.
Unlike the previous Japan-made anti-ship missiles with inertial guidance for the intermediate
course, the Type 17 has GPS guidance.
It improves accuracy.
Some sources also claim that the Mogami-class frigates may be fitted with the ship-based
variant of the ASM-3 anti-ship missiles with speeds over Mach 3.
But, we could not reach any official confirmation.
Currently, the Mogami-class has no vertical launching system.
The 16-cell Mk 41 launcher will be fitted later.
Thus, the frigate will gain to fire the naval version of the Type 03 Chū-SAM air defence
missiles.
Its specification is not officially published yet.
But, the new missile will probably have a similar performance to its land-based variant.
The Type 03 with a 73-kilogram warhead has a range of 50 kilometres and a speed of Mach
2.5.
Its maximum effective altitude is 10,000 metres.
Besides, thanks to the Mk 41, the Mogami-class frigates will gain the capability of launching
the Type 07.
This anti-submarine warfare missile with an 8-kilometre range carries a Type 97 or Type
12 torpedo.
Japan will also equip the Mogami-class frigates with two domestically-developed remote-controlled
weapon stations with a 12.7mm machine gun.
The ship has aviation facilities suitable for the operations of an SH-60K helicopter.
Some sources claim that the JMSDF will acquire 22 Mogami-class frigates to replace the Abukuma,
Hatsuyuki, and Asagiri-class destroyers.
The Hatsuyuki-class vessels are already decommissioned or converted to training ships.
But, Japan currently ordered only 10 Mogami-class frigates.
Developing a new surface combatant to replace obsolete destroyers is not economically feasible.
Probably, Japan will order another 12 Mogami-class ships.
Initially, it was mentioned that these frigates would also replace the Hayabusa-class missile
boats.
Yes, the Mogami-class will conduct monitoring missions in the future currently carried out
by the Hayabusas.
But, a new patrol vessel, not the frigates, will take over this duty from the missile
boats of the JMSDF.
As you can see, the Mogami-class frigates have a very similar design to their counterparts
in the other modern navies.
Except for their high mine warfare capabilities.
During the First Cold War, the minelaying capability was essential for Japan, which
was under the threat of a massive naval invasion from the USSR.
The Japanese fleet was large but not big enough to control all the coastal areas and sea lines.
The anti-access/area denial was the most suitable concept to compensate for this disadvantage.
But, the mighty Soviet Pacific Fleet vanished, and the JMSDF became the number one naval
power in the region.
So, Japan did not need the anti-access/area-denial concept anymore and decommissioned minelaying
capable JDS Sōya and JDS Hayase in 1999 and 2002.
However, with the rising of the Chinese Navy, the JMSDF decided to regain its minelaying
capability.
This move shows us that Tokyo now acknowledges the large fleet of the JMSDF is no longer
the only dominant naval power in the region.
It has to return to the former concept to balance the Chinese Navy.
So, the Mogami-class ships represent the return of the sea mines in the JMSDF.
They are not just minelayers but also mine hunters.
This feature makes them unique among the other frigates of the modern navies.
We can hear the objection of some of our audience, who may say that the U.S. modular littoral
combat ships also have this capability.
But, initially, the U.S. Navy did not define them as frigates.
They are a different type of surface combatant.
Their hull numbers start with LCS, not F. Even though the U.S. Navy has re-equipped
them with anti-ship missiles, it ordered the Constellation-class vessel for the frigate
role.
From this perspective, we can say that the Mogami-class is still a unique frigate with
its mine warfare capability.
Why did Japan not continue with destroyers?
Why did it begin to commission the frigates after all this time?
The current destroyers have higher firepower than the previous cruisers.
Their displacements are near to or even higher than 10,000 tons.
Obviously, replacing the 2,550-ton Abukuma, 4,000-ton Hatsuyuki, and 5,200-ton Asagiri
with, for example, the 10,250-ton Maya-class destroyer would be absurd.
Defining a modern surface combatant with a 5,500-ton displacement as a destroyer is unrealistic
today.
Also, the firepower of this frigate is not enough to be a modern destroyer.
Besides, the Mogami-class frigates will carry out some missions not performed by the current
Japanese destroyers.
So, it had to be classified differently, and Japan has gone this way.
The Mogami-class ships are the new face of the changing JMSDF.
These frigates are not fully combat-ready yet.
But, when they gain their full strength, the Mogami-class surface combatant will become
a critical piece on the Western Pacific chessboard.
Thanks for watching our video.
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