Japan to provide Mozambique with a coastal surveillance ship.

According to information published by News24 on May 3, 2023, Mozambique Foreign Minister Veronica Macamo announced that Japan would supply the African nation with air navigation equipment worth around $22.5 million and a coastal surveillance ship valued at $830 000.
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Japanese Kunigami-class patrol vessel Rishiri. (Picture source: Japanese gov)

Coastal surveillance ships (CSS) are a class of vessels designed specifically for patrolling, monitoring, and protecting a nation's coastline and territorial waters.

In the case of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), some classes of coastal surveillance ships include the Hibiki-class and Kunigami-class vessels.

Hibiki class

The Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ships are a class of specialized surveillance vessels. Developed in response to the Soviet Union's Kilo-class submarines, these ships feature a small-waterplane-area twin hull (SWATH) design for improved stability.

Built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, the Hibiki-class vessels primarily operate out of Kure, Hiroshima. They feature a beam of 30 meters (98 ft 5 in), a top speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph), and a standard range of 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi).

The ships are equipped with advanced sensor systems, including the AN/UQQ-2 Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS), and share operational data with the United States as part of their integrated undersea surveillance efforts.

Kunigami-class

The Kunigami-class patrol vessel is a 1,000-ton class patrol ship operated by the Japan Coast Guard. Designed as a versatile, general-purpose ship, she has a steel displacement hull for improved low-speed stability and features a helipad on the stern deck. Measuring 96.6 meters (316 ft 11 in) in length and 11.5 meters (37 ft 9 in) in beam, the ship has a draft of 5.2 meters (17 ft 1 in).

The armament varies between early and later ships, with the latter being equipped with a more powerful Bushmaster II 30mm chain gun system. The class was developed to replace the retiring Shiretoko-class vessels and has seen reduced construction costs due to large-scale production.