Fregata Natori on duty. Japan closes the series Mogami and looks at exports

On May 21st, a ceremony was held at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki to transfer and raise the flag on the frigateNatori(FFM 9). It is the ninth Mogami-type vessel incorporated into the Japanese Marine Defense Forces (JMSDF) and another element of a wide generation exchange in the Japanese submarine fleet.

May 30FFM as a response to JMSDF needs

Natori(FFM-9) is the third Mogami frigate accepted to service with the installed vertical launcher Mk 41 VLS – formerNiyodo(FFM-7) andYubetsu(FFM-8). The first six units of the series are expected to receive VLS during later modernization work. Mogami type replaces in line eight destroyers typeAsagiriand six units of typeAbukuma.

Cost of building frigatesNatoriwas about 51.4 billion yen (about USD 323 million). The ship was assigned to the 5th Patrol and Defence Squadron of the newly formed Patrol and Defence Group at the Ominato base in the Aomori Prefecture. A characteristic feature of the class is strong automation – the standard cast is about 90 sailors, compared to about 200 on destroyersJMSDF.

Ninth frigateNatorifrom Nagasaki

ManufacturerNatoriis Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. in Nagasaki.Ship's still here.launched on June 24, 2024, after which he underwent a stage of equipping and pre-entry trials. After the flag is raised, the unit is to be based in Ominato.

From an industrial perspective, this is further evidence that the Japanese Mogami programme has reached a stable pace. The series is to number 12 ships and then be replaced by a dozen upgraded frigates referred to as Upgraded Mogs or 06FFM. This shows that Japan is not treating the project as a closed episode, but as a basis for further development of its ownwater forces.

Mogami-type frigate armament and drive

Mogami frigates have a standard displacement of 3900 tonnes, a length of 132.5 m, a width of 16.3 m and dive 4.7 m. They reach a speed of over 30 in. The drive is configured in the CODG system, with a 25 MW Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine and two MAN Diesel & Turbo 12V28/33D STC diesel engines with a power of 6000 kW.

The weapon includes 127 mm BAE Systems Mk 45 Mod 4 L/62 cannon, two remotely controlled Japan Steel Works armament stations with 12.7 mm large-caliber machine guns, a Raytheon SeaRAM missile defense system launcher, two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Type 17 anti-ship missiles, and two three-tube HOS-303 torpedoes for 324 mm light Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Type 97 or newer Type 12. The ships also received four six-barrel launchers of passive disruptors Mk 137 SRBOC.

A landing and hangar for Lockheed helicopter Martin Sikorsky SH-60K Seahawk is provided on the stern. The units are also prepared to mount two Lockheed Martin Mk 41 VLS universal vertical launcher modules, which remains important for further strengthening their multitasking capabilities including anti-aircraft.

Japanese project becomes important in Australia

The Mogami-type frigate program today has meaning beyond the modernization of the Japanese Marine Defense Forces. The upgraded variant of this design was selected by Australia in the SEA 3000 program, which assumes the acquisition of new general purpose frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. The first three ships are to be built in Japan, at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyards, and the construction of further frigates is planned for Australia.

For Tokyo, it's a breakthrough. For decades Japan has developed a modern shipbuilding industry primarily for the needs of its own self-defense forces. The Australian Mogami type choice shows that this model is beginning to change. Japanese warships are no longer just part of national modernisation, but are becoming an export offer for countries that are looking for ready, proven and readily available ships of this class.

In the case of Canberry, not only the technical parameters, but also the pace of construction, which is impressive and the possibility of gradually transferring parts of industrial competence to Australia, as we wrote in detail earlieron our portal. In this sense, any further Mogami frigate admitted to service in Japan strengthens the credibility of the entire program – also outside the country.

Fregate who speaks more than the ceremony itself

Flag raising toNatoriis therefore of double importance. On the one hand, it is the next stage of replacing older JMSDF ships with more modern Mogami frigates. On the other hand, it confirms that Japan built a project that proved attractive not only to its own fleet, but also to one of the most important security partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

In that senseNatoriShe's not just the ninth ship of this series. This is part of a major change in which the Japanese shipbuilding industry is moving from ship building exclusively for national purposes to increasing participation in international ship programs.