Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) held a delivery ceremony and a “self-defense ship flag raising ceremony” today for the Niyodo (によど). The event means the ship, the seventh Mogami-class FFM, was officially commissioned with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
JS Niyodo was inducted into Escort Division 12, headquartered at the Kure naval base in HIroshima Prefecture. This is the first deployment of a Mogami-class frigate to Kure.
Most notably, the Niyodo became the first Mogami-class frigate equipped with the Mk 41 vertical launching system (VLS). The first six ships of the class are slated to be equipped with the VLS at a later date.
In the fiscal year 2021 supplementary budget, the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo earmarked 8.4 billion yen ($58 million) for the acquisition of its first two VLSs to be equipped with JS Niyodo and JS Yubetsu, the eighth ship of the Mogami-class.
The MoD has also secured 78.7 billion yen($544 million) for the acquisition of Mk 41 VLS and other equipment for the remaining 10 Mogami-class vessels in its fiscal year 2023 budget. Out of these 10 VLSs, three are scheduled to be delivered to the MoD in FY2025, four in FY2027, and three in FY2028, an MoD document obtained by Naval News shows.
A spokesperson at the JMSDF confirmed to Naval News that all FFMs after the seventh and eighth ships-in-class onwards will be inducted into service with the weapon system already installed.
Niyodo (によど) named after the Niyodo River (仁淀川, Niyodo-gawa) located in the Shikoku region of southwestern Japan was launched by MHI in Nagasaki on 26 September 2023.
Originally, it was scheduled to be commissioned in fiscal year 2024 that ended on 31 March 2025. However, the spokesperson at the JMSDF said the commissioning of the Niyodo was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and delays in the delivery of semiconductors.
The FFM (also known as 30FFM and previously known as 30DX) is the next generation multi-mission frigate designed for the JMSDF. A total number of 12 frigates are expected to be procured for the JMSDF.
The two shipyards in charge of building the class are MHI in Nagasaki and its subsidiary Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems Co., Ltd in Okayama.
Equipped with its compact, stealthy hull shape, JS Niyodo was built for about 47.4 billion yen ($327 million) under a contract awarded in March 2022, according to the JMSDF and MHI. As with the other ships of the class, the 3,900-tonne vessel will have a crew complement of about 90, a beam of 16.3 m, and a hull draught of 9 m.
Powered by a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion system featuring two MAN 12V28/33D STC diesel engines and one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, the Mogami-class is capable of attaining a top speed of more than 30 knots. The Mogami-class marks the first instalment of a CODAG system on any JMSDF ship.
The FFM will be equipped with a wide variety of weapons and systems as listed below:
BAE Systems 5-inch (127-mm) 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun system ×1
Japan Steel Works 12.7mm Remote Weapon System ×2
Mk.41 VLS (16 cells)
Raytheon SeaRAM ×1
MHI Type 17 surface-to-ship guided missile (SSM-2) 4-tube launcher x 2
Mitsubishi Electric OPY-2 multifunction Radar
Mitsubishi Electric OAX-3EO/IR sensors
Hitachi OQQ-11 anti-mine sonar
NEC OQQ-25 anti-submarine sonar (VDS/TASS)
UUV (OZZ-5 by MHI) and USV (by JMU Defense Systems) for mine countermeasures
Sea mines for offensive mine warfare
New FFM program
The JMSDF plans to acquire a new class of 12 FFMs from 2024 until 2028. The first of these New FFMs is scheduled to be commissioned in fiscal year 2028, and if construction proceeds smoothly, all 12 ships will be in service by the end of fiscal year 2032.
The new frigates will essentially be improved Mogami-class ships that are set to be built to the design proposed by MHI. Naval News previously reported on the “New FFM” at this link.
In an epoch-making move, the Australian government has shortlisted Japan’s MHI and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) over Spanish and South Korean contenders to build the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s future general purpose frigates. MHI is pitching New FFM, or the upgraded Mogami-class frigate, to the Albanese government, meanwhile, TKMS has offered its MEKO A-200 design.
In addition, in November last year, Japan and India signed a Memorandum of Implementation (MOI) for Tokyo’s planned export to New Delhi of an advanced integrated stealth antenna system that is currently used for the Mogami-class.
AloJapan.com