Japan commissions its third Mogami class frigate Noshiro.

According to a tweet published by the Japanese MoD on December 15, 2022, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) held a commissioning ceremony for the third Mogami class frigate Noshiro.
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Commissioning ceremony of the third Japanese Mogami class frigate Noshiro. (Picture source: JMSDF)

The Mogami-class frigate (also known as 30FFM, 30FF, 30DX, or 30DEX) is a Japanese multi-mission stealth frigate for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

The overall intent of the 30DX design is to achieve a modern frigate-sized vessel with capabilities similar to the Akizuki-class destroyer but with a reduced crew and only half the VLS cells.

It was the 30DX model that was eventually chosen to be constructed. The 30DX design (although modern) is more conservative compared to the 30FF's more radical approach.

The three main factors for the design change were due to the need for affordability, miniaturization/automation, and multi-mission capabilities. The vessel has an overall length of 133 meters (436 ft 4 in), a breadth of 16 meters (53 ft 6 in), a standard displacement of 3,900 metric tons (3,800 long tons) with a full load displacement of about 5,500 metric tons (5,400 long tons), and a maximum speed of over 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). The frigates will be powered by a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine.

Weapons for the 30DX include a Mk 45 gun, two remote weapon stations above the bridge, 16-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) at the bow, 8 anti-ship missiles, one SeaRAM, an SH-60L helicopter, torpedoes, and decoy launchers.

Another capability is to deploy and recover unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), unmanned surface vehicles (USV), and sea mines from the rear ramp beneath the helo deck. The 30DX will also expect to use a naval version of the JGSDF's Type 03 Chū-SAM long-range AA missile.