The Maritime Self-Defense Force added Tuesday a fourth new Mogami-class frigate to its increasingly capable fleet as Japan ramps up efforts to strengthen the country’s naval forces, a signal of how it intends to grapple with manpower shortages and growing regional security threats.
The JS Mikuma, a 133-meter-long, multimission warship was handed over to the MSDF in a ceremony held at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Nagasaki.
The class, which is difficult to detect by radar thanks to its stealthy hull shape, can be deployed for a variety of missions, including warning and surveillance, anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine warfare and minesweeping operations.