Hateruma-class patrol vessel

Hakata (PL-62)
Class overview
Name: Hateruma class
Builders: Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Operators: Japan Coast Guard
Preceded by: Aso-class
Succeeded by: Kunigami-class
Built: 2005–2010
In commission: 2008–present
Completed: 9
Active: 9
General characteristics
Type: 1,000 ton-class PL (Patrol vessel, Large)
Displacement: 1,300 Gross tonnage
Length: 89.0 m (292.0 ft)
Beam: 11.0 m (36.1 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:
  • 2 × 7m class RHIBs
  • 2 × 4.8m class RHIB
Complement: 30
Armament: One Mk44 Bushmaster II 30 mm gun with optical FCS
Aviation facilities: aft helicopter deck and refueling facilities

Hateruma-class patrol vessel (Japanese: はてるま型巡視船) is a class of PL type patrol vessels of the Japan Coast Guard. PL stands for "Patrol vessel Large", and the class name "Hateruma" is named after Hateruma-jima, the southernmost inhabited island of Japan.

Aiming at policing of Senkaku Islands, they can be a floating base for smaller patrol crafts or helicopters, so they are called "拠点機能強化型巡視船", Patrol vessel, Sea-basing capability enhanced. The lead ship of the class, Hateruma (PL61), was one of the JCG's vessels involved in the 2010 Senkaku boat collision incident, including Yonakuni (PL63) and Mizuki (PS class), both of which collided with the Chinese fishing trawler Minjinyu 5179 which was then boarded and seized.

Ships of this class are equipped with one single-mounted Mk44 Bushmaster II 30mm autocannon with laser-optical fire-control system. The 30mm-caliber autocannon is entirely new caliber for the JCG, and it give this class an increased firepower compared with usual 1,000 ton-class patrol vessels which normally have only one manually controlled 20mm Vulcan Gatling gun. This 30mm gun system is more powerful than a 20mm Vulcan with a Remote Firing System (RFS) associated with the simplified laser-optical fire-control system (FCS) which is on board recent PMs and PSs such as the Tsurugi class, and more reasonable than the larger Bofors 40 mm L/70 gun with laser-optical FCS which is mounted on board "High-speed, High-functionality" PLs such as the Hida class and Aso class.

This class has the helicopter deck wide enough to operate with Eurocopter EC225 helicopters to airlift supplies for small patrol crafts keeping Senkaku Islands under surveillance. And the broadband SATCOM system of this class can relay video data from helicopters to the ground station or the HQ of the JCG. This class is equipped with the LIDAR system to acquire targets with high accuracy, and at the same time, this system enables them to perform search and rescue mission more safely.

The JCG had intended to build a number of ships of this design for the successor of PL-101 Shiretoko-class, but this class may not suitable for SAR mission because of the insufficient low-speed mobility. So the construction project has switched to the PL-09 Kunigami-class, utilized variant of this class.

Shiretoko-class is the older 1,000 ton-class PLs, twenty-eight ships were built in late 1970s and early 1980s. It was recently announced that Japan plans to transfer 2 of the older Shiretoko class type patrol vessels to the Philippines Coast Guard later this year.[1][2]

Ships in the class

JCG's Hateruma (PL61), lead ship of the class
Ships in the class
Pennant NumberShip Name BuilderCommissionDecommissionHomeport
PL61HaterumaMitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding31 March 2008 Ishigaki
PL62Ishigaki (former Hakata)2 February 2009 Ishigaki
PL63Kunigami (former Yonakuni) Nakagusuku
PL64Shimokita (former Motobu)3 March 2009 Naha
PL65Shiretoko (former Kunigami)12 March 2009 Nakagusuku
PL66ShikineMitsubishi Heavy Industries7 October 2009 Shimoda
PL67AmagiMitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding11 March 2010 Amami
PL68Suzuka Owase
PL69KoshikiMitsubishi Heavy Industries9 March 2010 Kagoshima

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Philippines to receive 10 new patrol ships from Japan | Inquirer Global Nation". Globalnation.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2012-05-19.
  2. ↑ "DEFENSE STUDIES: Japan Provides Patrol Ships to the Philippines". Defense-studies.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-05-19.

Future reading

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