Awaji-class minesweeper
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Awaji |
| Builders | JMU, Yokohama |
| Preceded by | Yaeyama class |
| Built | 2014–2019 |
| Planned | 4 |
| On order | 1 |
| Completed | 3 |
| Active | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Minesweeper |
| Displacement | 690 t (680 long tons) standard |
| Length | 66.8 m (219 ft 2 in) |
| Beam | 11 m (36 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Depth | 5.2 m (17 ft 1 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 54 |
| Sensors and processing systems | |
| Armament | 1 × JM61R-MS 20 mm gun |
The Awaji class is a class of minesweepers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.[1]
Development
[edit]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.
Ships in the class
[edit]| Pennant no. | Name | Builders | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Home port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSO-304 | Awaji | Japan Marine United, Yokohama | 27 February 2014 | 27 October 2015[3][4][5] | 16 March 2017 | Yokosuka |
| MSO-305 | Hirado | 10 April 2015 | 10 February 2017 | 16 March 2018 | Yokosuka | |
| MSO-306 | Etajima | 22 February 2018 | 12 December 2019[6] | 16 March 2021[7] | Kure | |
| MSO-307 | Nōmi | Expected 2022 | Expected 2024 | 24 October 2023 |
Citations
[edit]- ^ "我が国の防衛と予算" [Defense Programs and Budget of Japan] (PDF) (in Japanese). Ministry of Defense. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "最新鋭掃海艦「えたじま」が就役――海自最大のFRP船（高橋浩祐） - Yahoo!ニュース". Yahoo!ニュース 個人 (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ 海上自衛隊 新型掃海艦「あわじ」進水 深い位置の機雷除去も可能に, retrieved 31 May 2021
- ^ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (27 October 2015). "海自の新型掃海艦の進水式 「あわじ」と命名 ２９年３月就役予定". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "掃海艦の命名ならびに進水式について｜2015年度｜プレスリリース｜ジャパン マリンユナイテッド株式会社". www.jmuc.co.jp. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "掃海艦の命名ならびに進水式について～国内最大のＦＲＰ製掃海艦の進水式～｜2019年度｜プレスリリース｜ジャパン マリンユナイテッド株式会社". www.jmuc.co.jp. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "掃海艦「えたじま」の引渡式・自衛艦旗授与式について" (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Retrieved 15 February 2023.