Tenth Mogami-Class Multirole Frigate for JMSDF
23On December 19, Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) launched the latest frigate, the tenth of a planned fleet of 12 Mogami-class multirole frigates, for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Named Nagara, the 133 meter-long vessel (pennant number FFM-10) entered the water during a ceremony held on the day at the company’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Nagasaki Prefecture.
The vessel is named after the Nagara River (長良川, Nagara-gawa) which runs through Gifu Prefecture and flows into Ise Bay. All ships of the class are named after famous rivers in Japan, designated as a “Class A river.”
The shipyard will now proceed to the fitting out stage of the frigate, ahead of its delivery and commissioning set for by the end of fiscal year 2025 that ends March 31, 2026, according to the JMSDF.