Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has launched the 11th Mogami-class frigate for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), according to an official announcement shared via the naval service’s X account (@jmsdf_srh).
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The ceremony took place at the company’s shipyard in Nagasaki, where the advanced Mogami-class frigates are under construction. The new vessel has been named **Tatsuta (たつた)**, in honour of the Tatsutagawa River, a tributary of the Yamatogawa River near the city of Ikoma in Nara Prefecture.
This is the third vessel in Japanese naval history to bear the name Tatsuta, following an Imperial Japanese Navy gunboat and a light cruiser that served between the 1920s and 1940s.
Ordered as part of a 12-ship programme, the Tatsuta represents the penultimate ship of the Mogami class, with the final vessel expected to be launched by the end of 2025. The ship’s keel was laid on 3 July 2024, and following 12 months of construction, the frigate will undergo final outfitting and sea trials ahead of its planned commissioning into the JMSDF in 2026.
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The Mogami-class frigates are next-generation, multi-role surface combatants designed to enhance Japan’s maritime defence capabilities. Measuring approximately 130 metres in length and 16.3 metres in beam, they displace 3,900 tonnes standard and up to 5,500 tonnes fully loaded. Each vessel carries a crew of around 90 personnel.
Propulsion is provided by a CODAG (Combined Diesel and Gas) system, combining a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine with two MAN diesel engines, enabling speeds of over 30 knots and operational endurance exceeding 30 days.
Armament includes:
- One 127 mm Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun
- 16 Mk 41 vertical launch system (VLS) cells for Type 23 and Type 07 VL-ASROC missiles
- Eight Type 17 (SSM-2) anti-ship missiles
- Six 324 mm torpedo tubes for Type 12 torpedoes
- One SeaRAM close-in defence system and two remote weapon stations
- Capacity to operate one SH-60K or SH-60L helicopter
In terms of sensors and combat systems, the frigates feature the OPY-2 AESA radar, OYQ-1 combat management system, OAX-3 electro-optical system, OQQ-11 hull sonar, OQQ-25 towed sonar array, along with the NOLQ-3E electronic warfare suite and mine countermeasure capabilities.
With the Mogami-class programme nearing completion, the JMSDF continues to modernise its surface fleet in response to growing strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Source and images: X @jmsdf_srh | Militarnyi. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
