Development
From lessons learned from the 1991 deployment of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to the Persian Gulf, the Maritime Self-Defense Force took the inspiration from the Royal Navy's Sandown-class minehunter, which was built after the 1994 plan to enhance mine clearance capabilities. However, since the Sandown-class is essentially a minesweeper without actual minesweeping capability, and given that many waters around Japan have muddy seabeds which can complicate minesweeping operations by obscuring or interfering with mine detection, the JMSDF found it unacceptable to abandon minesweeping functionality. To address this, the Enoshima-class vessels were equipped with Australian-made Dyad Influence Minesweeping Systems (DIMS), which are sensitive minesweepers. However, due to magnetic management issues, it was decided that the minesweeping equipment would not be permanently installed but instead deployed from a mother ship at sea as needed. This approach reduces the vessel's magnetic signature when not actively sweeping mines, minimizing the risk of prematurely triggering magnetic mines.
However, it introduced operational delays, logistical challenges, and reduced flexibility, limiting the vessel's ability to conduct immediate or independent minesweeping operations. This resulted in significant operational restrictions and limited mobility. [2] [3]
For these reasons, the Enoshima-class was developed as a new type of minesweeper, featuring a domestically designed system with performance equivalent to the foreign-made minesweeping system used in the Sugashima-class. [2]
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