Hibiki-class surveillance ship

Last updated
Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ship
AOS-5201 hibiki (2).jpg
Class overview
Builders Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding
OperatorsNaval Ensign of Japan.svg  Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Built1989–present
In commission1991–present
Planned4
Building1
Completed3
Active3
General characteristics
Type Ocean surveillance ship
Displacement
  • Standard:
    • 2,850 t (2,800 long tons; 3,140 short tons) (Hibiki and Harima)
    • 2,900 t (2,900 long tons; 3,200 short tons) (Aki and Bingo)
  • Full load: 3,800 t (3,700 long tons; 4,200 short tons)
Length67 m (219 ft 10 in)
Beam29.9 m (98 ft 1 in)
Draft7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)
Installed power3,000 hp (2,200 kW)
Propulsion
Speed11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Range3,800 nmi (7,000 km; 4,400 mi) (at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph))
Crew40
Sensors and
processing systems
Aviation facilities Helipad

The Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ship is a class of surveillance ships operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). [1] [2] The ships have a small-waterplane-area twin hull (SWATH) design. [3]

Contents

History

The Hibiki class was developed in response to the launch of the Kilo-class submarines by the Soviet Union, and their deployments in the waters near Japan. [4] [5] The Defense Agency announced plans to develop a surveillance ship in 1989. [4]

The first Hibiki-class vessel was commissioned on January 23, 1991 and the second, Harima, on March 10, 1992. [6] [5]

The Japanese Ministry of Defence's decision to build another Hibiki-class surveillance ship, nearly 30 years after the second one was completed, was influenced by the fact that some of Japan's neighbors have been steadily expanding their respective submarine fleets recently. [5]

Construction

All three vessels of the class have been built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding at its Tamano shipyard. [1]

Operations

Hibiki and Harima operate out of Kure, Hiroshima. [4] [5] The United States and Japan reportedly split the costs of operating the Hibiki vessels, which is approximately US$20 million per year. [4]

Characteristics

Hibiki-class vessels have a beam of 30 metres (98 ft 5 in), a top speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph), and a standard range of 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi). [7] Each vessel has a crew of 40, including five American civilian technicians, and a flight deck for helicopters to operate off of. [1] [8] They are able to deploy on station for 90 days. [8]

The vessels have an AN/UQQ-2 Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS), which was installed in the United States. [2] [8] Data from the sensors is relayed through the Defense Satellite Communications System and processed and shared with the United States. [8] The data is fed into the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System. [4]

Propulsion is provided by four Mitsubishi S6U-MPTK diesel electric engines. [3] The third ship was equipped with a Daihatsu diesel MTU. [9]

Ships in the class

Pennant no.NameLaid downLaunchedCommissionedHome portNotes
AOS-5201 Hibiki 28 November 198927 July 199030 January 1991 Kure [5]
AOS-5202 Harima 26 December 199011 September 199110 March 1992Kure [5]
AOS-5203 Aki October 201815 January 2020 [10] 4 March 2021 [11] [1]
AOS-5204 [12] Bingo [13] March 202417 February 2025March 2026

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Dominguez, Gabriel (February 3, 2020). "Japan launches third Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ship". Jane's Information Group.
  2. 1 2 "AOS Hibiki Class". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017.[ unreliable source? ]
  3. 1 2 "AOS Hibiki Class". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2009.[ unreliable source? ]
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Japan's Ears on the Sea". Medium. July 4, 2014. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017.[ unreliable source? ]
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maritime, Baird (August 20, 2021). "VESSEL REVIEW Aki – JMSDF SWATH ship to perform long-range monitoring of submarines". Baird Maritime / Work Boat World. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  6. ↑ Kim, Duk-Ki (12 October 2012). Naval Strategy in Northeast Asia: Geo-strategic Goals, Policies and Prospects. Routledge. p. 207. ISBN   978-1-136-32636-3.
  7. ↑ Jane, Frederick Thomas (2010). Jane's Fighting Ships. S. Low, Marston & Company. p. 433. ISBN   978-0-7106-2920-3.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Graham, Euan (16 November 2005). Japan's Sea Lane Security: A Matter of Life and Death?. Routledge. p. 404. ISBN   978-1-134-25091-2.
  9. ↑ "ダイハツディーゼルの新たな取組みについて" (PDF). dhtd.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Japan launches third Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ship". February 3, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Japan commissions third Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ship". March 4, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  12. ↑ "我が国の防衛と予算" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  13. ↑ JMSDF [@JMSDF_PAO] (February 17, 2025). "🚢Ship Name "BINGO"‼ 4th HIBIKI-class Auxiliary Ocean Surveillance ship" (Tweet). Retrieved 2025-02-17– via Twitter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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