"Mogami": beautiful and dangerous, like its ancestor
On November 14, the eighth Japanese Mogami-class frigate, JS Yūbetsu, was launched in the city of Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, in the southern part of the Japanese island of Honshu. These multifunctional ships should become the basis of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), which, to be honest, is hard to call “self-defense forces”, since their composition represents a decent navy.
These are very advanced ships, equipped with a wide range of combat capabilities. The frigates have a futuristic appearance, given their sharp geometric profiles, designed in accordance with stealth technologies. Japanese military experts believe that the Mogami will be able to carry out various missions for the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
The entire series of ships are named after rivers in Japan. This is the tradition in the Japanese Navy, in this country in general it was not easy with names for ships. In general, the ships were named by the emperor, only in 1897 such a right was granted to the minister fleet. Since 1921, the Emperor personally gave names only to battleships and cruisers. It should be noted that in the name much more attention was paid to how melodic it sounds, and not what it carries in itself.
The ships were named after mountains (cruisers Atago, Hiei, Takao), after provinces of Japan (battleships Nagato, Yamato, Kaga), islands (Kurokami, Enoshima), rivers (cruisers "Tenryu", "Tone"), famous and beautiful places in Japan (cruisers "Akashi", "Itsukushima", "Matsushima", "Hashidate").
On August 1, 1905, a certain system came to the process of naming ships:
- battleships (and, subsequently, battleships) receive the names of the provinces of Japan, or other names or self-names of Japan are used as the name of the ship.
- cruisers of the first rank receive the names of mountains.
- cruisers of the second and third ranks receive city names.
True, the tendency to name ships after cities was not supported by action. The Japanese continued to avoid names that were too clearly reminiscent of everyday human activity, preferring to capture on board not the bustle of people, but the eternal beauty of nature.
Now you may ask: why this strange excursion into history, what does that name have to do with it? What do modern ships have to do with this?
It's simple. The Japanese are a very unique nation and they have a unique approach to many things. The fleet has always been the pride of the nation, and there are a lot of Japanese who are sick of the fleet, in the good sense of the word. And today, for many, the revival of the Japanese navy is a kind of revenge for defeat in World War II.
Yes, Japan is a small country, and the number of place names there is... small? Not at all, there are enough names to give names to five such fleets that Japan had in 1941. However, let's see if there are any “random” coincidences with ships of the Imperial Navy of those years.
"Mogami" - a light cruiser, later converted into a heavy cruiser, sunk in 1944.
Kumano - light/heavy cruiser of the Mogami class, sunk in 1944.
Noshiro - light cruiser, Agano class, sunk in 1944.
Mikuma - light/heavy cruiser of the Mogami class, sunk in 1942.
Yahagi - light cruiser, Agano class, sunk in 1945.
"Agano" - light cruiser, sunk in 1944.
Niyodo - light cruiser of the Oyodo class, sunk in 1944.
"Yubetsu" is the only exception. Yes, there was a project for such a light air defense cruiser, but it did not come to fruition, which is why the Yubari-class escort destroyer first received this name in the 80s of the last century.
The rest, as you can see, were participants in the Second World War who did not live to see September 1.09.1945, 35. Coincidence? Don't think. The fact that the Japanese name their new ships in honor of THOSE ships - there is definitely a hidden sacred meaning in this. In Japan, if anything, there are more than 000 rivers of various sizes. And one could find enough names for ships, but the Mogami-gawa, one of the three fastest rivers in Japan, for some reason has an advantage over the others.
In general, the picture is this: all the frigates are named after the rivers of the Japanese islands, all similarities with the ships of the Japanese Imperial Navy, it turns out, are accidental and are the fruit of the author’s paranoia. Happens.
So what are the heirs of that Japanese Imperial Navy?
JS Yubetsu (FFM-8) during the naming ceremony, November 14, 2023
Mogami-class ships are capable of everything from surveillance to mine sweeping, as well as combating surface, air and underwater targets. The frigates are equipped with advanced electronic warfare systems and detection equipment. But above all, they are designed to be operated by surprisingly small crews. Essentially, they will help the Japan Self-Defense Forces do much more with much less.
JS Mogami pictured in April 2022
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems has been awarded a contract to supply 12 frigates to the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the last of which are due to enter service after 2027. The Mogami-class frigates are expected to eventually replace the older Asagiri-class destroyers and Abukuma-class destroyer escorts. The lead vessels of both classes were put into operation in 1988.
Japanese destroyer Asagiri
Abukuma-class destroyer escort Oyodo, pictured in January 2023
All Mogami-class frigates have a standard displacement of approximately 3 tons and a gross displacement of approximately 900 tons. By comparison, Asagiri-class destroyers have a slightly smaller displacement; 5 tons standard and 500 tons full. It should be noted that the Asagiri-class destroyers have a smaller displacement than many other destroyers in the Japanese Self-Defense Force fleet. The Akizuki-class destroyers have a standard displacement of 3 tons and a gross displacement of 500 tons, while the Aegis-equipped Maya-class destroyers have a standard displacement of 5 tons and a gross displacement of 200 tons.
Destroyer "Akizuki"
Destroyer "Maya"
In terms of propulsion, the Mogami class ships are equipped with one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine and two MAN V28/33DD STC diesel engines. The ships can reach speeds of more than 30 knots.
Each frigate is armed with a BAE Systems 5-inch (127 mm) Mark 45 naval gun system, as well as two Japan Steel Works 12,7 mm remote-controlled weapon stations.
The main striking power of the frigates is the Lockheed Martin Mk 16 41-cell air launcher for launching MHI's Type 03 Chu-SAM surface-to-air missiles and MHI Type 12 ship-based anti-ship missiles. Raytheon's SeaRAM system provides the closest line of defense against anti-ship missiles and small boats.
"Mogami" can install their own mines and mine others.
As expected, the frigates are equipped with advanced electronic warfare systems. Mogami-class ships currently in service and those soon to be commissioned are equipped with the NOLQ-3E system, which integrates passive radar and electronic attack capabilities, as well as devices for launching various countermeasures in the face of anti-ship missile attacks.
In terms of sensors and radars, the frigates boast the OPY-2 X-band multi-role Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and Mitsubishi Electric's OAX-3 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors.
In addition, the frigates are equipped with NEC's OQQ-25 Variable Depth Sonar (VDS), Towed Acoustic Sonar System (TASS) for anti-submarine warfare, and a hull-mounted OQQ-11 mine countermeasure sonar from Hitachi. The ships are also equipped with the OYQ-1 combat control system and the OYX-1-29 information display/processing system.
Antennas and tactical data links are stored in the UNIted CONbined Radio aNtenna (UNICORN) NORA-50 integration mast.
At the stern of the frigates there is a landing deck and a single hangar for a Mitsubishi SH-60L Sea Hawk helicopter. The Mogami-class frigates are also capable of using two MHI OZZ-5 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and two unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for mine sweeping.
All of this equipment is packaged in a reduced signature design that will provide greater survivability for the class. The overall radar detection range is also reduced, making it more difficult for enemies to be detected and engaged at long ranges.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the Mogami-class frigates and the Asagiri-class destroyers they will replace is the size of their crews.
The Asagiri usually has a crew of 220, but the Mogami-class ships are designed for a crew of only 90 people. This is surprisingly small for such a large ship.
A high level of automation makes this possible, and the best example of the technical level is the Combat Information Center (CIC), which is a giant 360-degree circular wall. This certainly adds a futuristic feel to the frigates and will allow sailors to perform tactical missions, command and control, engineering, navigation, damage control, firefighting, communications and other functions through feature-rich consoles and open architecture software. Augmented reality will also be part of the system, displaying key information such as target trajectories and potential hazards on screens.
The ability to effectively carry out a variety of missions with small crew sizes remains the main reason why Japan initiated efforts to field Mogami-class frigates in the mid-2010s.
Along with the commissioning of 12 Mogami-class frigates, Japan is seeking to expand its naval capabilities against the backdrop of China's growing shipbuilding capabilities. As US experts have previously noted, the country's key naval programs include the construction of two Aegis-equipped cruise ships (ASEVs), as well as the continued modification of two Izumo-class aircraft carriers so that they can carry F-35B aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL).
Japan has committed to increasing defense spending in recent years, unveiling a massive $320 billion five-year military spending plan last year as well as a significant $2024 billion defense budget request for fiscal year 52,9. However, compared to other Japanese Self-Defense Force warships, the Mogami-class frigates appear to be staggeringly well priced for their purported capabilities.
The first two ships, which were ordered in 2018, cost less than US$500 million each, with an estimated price of between US$370 million and US$410 million per frigate. More recent estimates suggest even lower procurement costs to the $300 million range. This is significantly less than, for example, the Freedom-class coastal combat ship, the functionality of which is more than in doubt.
However, Japan is already looking beyond its twelve Mogami.
The country initially intended to procure 22 Mogami-class frigates under its defense program (MTDP) for fiscal years 2019-23, which received approval in late 2018. However, as part of the fiscal year 2024 budget request, the Japanese Ministry of Defense reduced this figure to 12. At the same time, it planned to purchase 12 “new multi-role frigates” in addition to the existing 12 Mogami-class ships.
And this will be a new project, which is called... “Mogami”!
The new Mogami-class frigates, based on the Mogami-class design, will have a larger standard displacement in the region of 4 tons. The total displacement will be about 880 tons. The length and width will also be increased compared to the Mogami class. Other similarities to the Mogami class include propulsion and speed, as well as a relatively small crew size.
Notably, the new multi-role frigates will be more focused on the air defense role, with MHI introducing the nomenclature FFM-AAW, which stands for multi-role air defense frigate. The frigates will be equipped with a 32-cell rather than a 16-cell vertical launch system. The frigates will launch an improved, longer-range version of the Type 12 anti-ship missile, as well as Japan's "new ship-to-air guided missile," or A-SAM, providing the ships with improved defense capabilities.
In addition to operating a single SH-60L helicopter, the frigate will also be able to launch an unmanned aerial vehicle as a reconnaissance vehicle, thereby enhancing the ships' intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities. The mast has also been redesigned to accommodate upgraded sensors.
In terms of schedule, MHI expects construction of the vessels to begin in 2027, with all 12 vessels to be completed by 2036. Based on available data, the new frigates will ultimately cost more than the Mogami class ships. In August this year, the Japan Self-Defense Forces requested about $1,16 billion to build the first two new multi-role frigates.
The rapid construction of Japan's Mogami-class frigates is certainly impressive, as are their capabilities, especially the level of automation they deploy to compensate for such a small crew size. It will be interesting to see how the Japanese can implement their plans.
Other concepts with a minimally manned crew have been difficult to implement properly, a prime example being littoral combat ships. Regardless, these ships are clearly designed to offer balanced capabilities at a very attractive price, and are certainly worth keeping an eye on, as are their larger, more heavily armed brethren that are now appearing on the horizon.
The Japanese have always been able to build good ships. From the very beginning of the 20th century. And today their industry, represented by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems, demonstrates continuity with those who built the Mogami, Nagato and Yamato. And it’s not even a matter of some continuity in terms of names; that’s not the most important thing. Much more important is that the Japanese still know how to build ships with good performance in large quantities.
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