Japan has commissioned its first 30FFM frigate, with the ship christened JS Kumano. (MHI)
Japan’s naval fleet is heavily dominated by destroyers but, facing recruitment issues and evolving security threats, it is now investing in frigates that are smaller and cheaper to build. Indeed, the first frigate of a new class was commissioned on 22 March.
JS Kumano (pennant number ‘2’) built by Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding, is ‘both compact and manpower-saving’, according to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding had launched Kumano in Okayama on 19 November 2020. The frigate has a low radar cross-section. Its crew is just 90 personnel thanks to high automation levels, such as an integrated combat
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