Development
The Awaji class is the successor to the Yaeyama class. The hulls are constructed of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) along the lines of the Enoshima class. Since many naval mines are of the magnetic type, it was necessary to avoid the use of metal in the hull of minesweepers that dispose of that type, and previously, most of them were constructed of wood. By making the Awaji class FRP, the standard displacement is reduced by 30% and the life of the hull is extended, although it has almost the same dimensions as the previous wooden Yaeyama class. In the image diagram of the budget request for the 2013 government budget, stealth was improved, but in the budget request for the following 2014, the Enoshima class was enlarged.
It is one of the largest FRP ships in the world. Japan Marine United (JMU), which possesses the construction technology and equipment for large FRP vessels, handed over the third ship Etajima to the Maritime Self-Defense Force on 16 March 2021. [2] The Ministry of Defense and the Maritime Self-Defense Force budgeted 12.6 billion yen for the construction of the fourth Awaji-class ship following Etajima in the 2020 budget.
The Mogami-class frigate, also known as 30FFM, 30FF, 30DX, or 30DEX, is a Japanese multi-mission stealth frigate for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Kumano (FFM-2) is the second ship of the Mogami-class frigates of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). She was named after Kumano River and shares her name with a World War II heavy cruiser Kumano and Cold War destroyer escort Kumano.
JS Mogami (FFM-1) is the lead ship of the Mogami-class frigates of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). She was named after the Mogami River and shares her name with a World War II heavy cruiser Mogami and Cold War destroyer escort Mogami.
JSAwaji(MSO-304) is the lead ship of the Awaji-class minesweeper of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Hirado (MSO-305) is the second ship of the Awaji-class minesweepers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Etajima (MSO-306) is the third ship of the Awaji-class minesweepers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Noshiro (FFM-3) is the third ship of the Mogami-class frigates of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). She was named after the Noshiro River and shares her name with a World War II light cruiser Noshiro and Cold War destroyer escort Noshiro.
JS Hakugei (SS-514), "White Sperm Whale", is the second boat of the Taigei-class attack submarine of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The submarine was ordered from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in 2018 and laid down on 25 January 2019 at Kobe, Japan. Hakugei was launched on 14 October 2021. She was commissioned in March 2023.
Tomoya Shinohara is a Japanese former footballer who played as a midfielder for JEF United Chiba.
Yahagi (やはぎ) is a frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the fifth ship of the Mogami class. Her namesake comes from the Yahagi River, which flows through Nagano, Gifu, and Aichi prefectures, a name that was chosen by Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi after a competition within the Maritime Self-Defense Forces.
Agano (あがの) is a frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the sixth ship of the Mogami class. Her namesake comes from the Agano River, which flows through Fukushima and Niigata Prefectures and into the Sea of Japan.
Niyodo (によど) is a frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the seventh ship of the Mogami class. She was named after the Niyodo River, and the second ship to be treated so, after the Chikugo-class destroyer escortJDS Niyodo. The Imperial Japanese Navy had plans to name the second Oyodo-class cruiser after the Niyodo River, but her construction was cancelled.
Jingei(じんげい ) is a diesel-electric submarine of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the third boat of the Taigei class. Her name is written in kanji as 迅鯨, derived from the expression "of the king of the sea, the whale, racing through the waves." She is the third warship to be named Jingei, after the Imperial Japanese Navy's paddle steamer Jingei, and the lead ship of the Jingei-class submarine tenders. Like her older sisters Taigei and Hakugei, Jingei will be equipped with a dedicated living area for up to six female crew members from the time of commissioning.
Yūbetsu (ゆうべつ) is a frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the eighth ship of the Mogami class. She was named after the Yūbetsu River in Hokkaido, and the second ship to bear the name, after the Yūbari-class destroyer escortYūbetsu.
Natori (なとり) is a frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the ninth ship of the Mogami class. She is named after the Natori River, which flows through the cities of Natori and Sendai in the Miyagi Prefecture, and the second ship to be named this way, after the Imperial Japanese Navy's Nagara-class cruiserNatori, as well as the first in the JMSDF era.
Chōgei (ちょうげい) is a diesel-electric submarine of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the fifth and final member of the Taigei class. Her name is written in kanji as "長鯨", literally meaning "giant whale", and this is the third use of the name, after the Meiji-era steamboat Chōgei Maru, and the Imperial Japanese Navy's Jingei-class submarine tenderChōgei.
Nōmi (のうみ) is a minesweeper of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the fourth ship of the Awaji-class. She is named after Nomi Island of the Hiroshima Prefecture, and the second ship to be named in this manner, after the Imperial Japanese Navy's Mikura-class escort shipNomi, as well as the first in the JMSDF era.
Nagara (ながら) is a frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the tenth ship of the Mogami-class. She is named after the Nagara River, becoming the second ship to bear this name, after the Imperial Japanese Navy's Nagara-class cruiserNagara, as well as the first in the JMSDF era.
