Japan deploys first Mogami-class frigate JS Yubetsu to enhance patrols near Russian waters.

On June 19, 2025, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems officially delivered the 3,900-ton Mogami-class multi-mission frigate JS Yubetsu (FFM-8) to the Japanese Ministry of Defense during a formal handover and self-defense ship flag-raising ceremony at the Tamano shipyard in Okayama Prefecture. The event, attended by approximately 150 officials, included the exchange of delivery documents between Mitsubishi and the Ministry, followed by the lowering of the company flag and the raising of the JMSDF ensign at the ship’s stern.
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The JS Yubetsu is equipped with a single 127mm naval gun, a SeaRAM missile launcher, two quadruple anti-ship missile launchers, two remote-controlled 12.7mm machine guns, and two triple 324mm torpedo launchers. (Picture source: Japanese Navy)

The commissioning of Yubetsu marks the second delivery of a Mogami-class vessel from the Tamano site after JS Kumano (FFM-2). Originally scheduled to enter service in fiscal year 2024, Yubetsu’s commissioning was delayed until June 2025 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to the supply of semiconductors, which impacted equipment integration and testing timelines. The ship’s assignment to Escort Division 15, based at the Ominato base in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, represents the first deployment of a Mogami-class vessel to northern Japan. With this deployment, all five major Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)'s fleet bases now operate at least one vessel of the Mogami class.

JS Yubetsu is named after the Yubetsu River in Hokkaido and is the second JMSDF ship to bear this name, the first being the Yubari-class destroyer escort decommissioned in June 2010. The vessel was laid down on August 30, 2022, and launched on November 14, 2023. Built under a contract valued at approximately 47.4 billion yen, Yubetsu features a standard displacement of 3,900 tons, full load displacement of 5,500 tons, overall length of 133 meters, beam of 16.3 meters, and hull depth of 9 meters. It is powered by a CODAG (Combined Diesel and Gas) propulsion system composed of two MAN 12V28/33D STC diesel engines and one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine engine, providing a maximum output of 70,000 horsepower. This configuration enables a maximum speed of over 30 knots. The ship uses two screw-type variable-pitch propellers. The automation of propulsion and ship systems allows for centralized control from the Combat Information Center (CIC) and the bridge, contributing to reduced crew size, with approximately 90 personnel onboard during peacetime and an estimated 60 during conflict conditions.

The ship is equipped with a single 127mm 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun, a SeaRAM missile launcher, two quadruple Type 17 (SSM-2) anti-ship missile launchers, two remote-controlled 12.7mm machine guns, and two triple 324mm HOS-303 torpedo launchers. Yubetsu is the second Mogami-class ship, following JS Niyodo, to be fitted at commissioning with a 16-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), manufactured under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The VLS is positioned forward of the bridge and is expected to carry the Type 07 vertically-launched anti-submarine rocket (07 VLA), a weapon system designed for extended-range engagement of underwater targets by delivering a torpedo via rocket propulsion. There are currently no plans to equip the ship with medium-range surface-to-air missiles such as the Standard Missile series. The FY2021 supplementary budget allocated 84 billion yen for the VLS equipment for JS Niyodo and JS Yubetsu, and the FY2023 defense budget allocated an additional 787 billion yen for VLS acquisition for the remaining ten ships of the class. These will be delivered to the Ministry of Defense in three batches between FY2025 and FY2028.

JS Yubetsu incorporates mine countermeasure capabilities, which are not standard in earlier JMSDF destroyers or frigates. These systems include the OQQ-11 mine detection sonar, a simplified mine-laying system, and unmanned systems for mine warfare. Specifically, the ship is designed to operate the OZZ-5 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and a JMU-developed unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The OZZ-5, approximately four meters long and weighing 900 kilograms, uses both high-frequency synthetic aperture sonar (SAMDIS by Thales) and low-frequency synthetic aperture sonar (developed by NEC) to detect stealth and buried mines. The USV is capable of relaying data between the UUV and the ship and can tow mechanical sweep gear or deploy mine countermeasure equipment. The ship also carries a helicopter hangar and flight deck for one SH-60K maritime patrol helicopter. Mine-laying capability is enabled through a simplified system using compact mines that can be deployed through a dual-use torpedo and mine storage area, offering limited offensive mine deployment.

The vessel is equipped with OPY-2 multifunction radar, OAX-3 electro-optical/infrared sensors, OQQ-25 sonar for anti-submarine warfare, and the OYQ-1 combat management system with an OYX-1-29 console interface. These systems are integrated into the ship’s Advanced Integrated CIC, a centralized operations center also used for navigation and engineering control, designed to reduce compartmentalization and improve crew coordination. For electronic warfare, the ship includes the NOLQ-3E suite for radar detection and jamming, with antennas co-located with the radar array. Decoy countermeasures are provided through Mk.137 launchers capable of deploying chaff and expendable jamming rounds. The ship’s communication antennas are integrated into the NORA-50 composite mast, also known as the UNICORN mast, which consolidates communications and radar equipment to reduce radar cross-section and simplify maintenance.

JS Yubetsu is the eighth of twelve Mogami-class frigates planned under the JMSDF’s modernization program. The first seven vessels are already assigned to Yokosuka, Sasebo, Maizuru, and Kure. Ships 9 and 10, JS Natori and JS Nagara, have been launched and are undergoing outfitting and trials, with commissioning scheduled for December 2025 and March 2026, respectively. The final two ships are under construction and expected to enter service by March 2027. Beginning in FY2024, the Ministry of Defense initiated the procurement of a new class of twelve improved FFMs with a displacement of 4,800 tons, broader beam of 17.4 meters, and expanded VLS capacity of 32 cells. These upgraded frigates will carry both Type 07 VLA and the new A-SAM surface-to-air missile, and they are also expected to replace SSM-2 launchers with a ship-launched variant of the extended-range Type 12 standoff missile, with development to be completed by FY2026. All twelve upgraded FFMs are scheduled to be in service by FY2032.

The commissioning of Yubetsu comes as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) begins a reorganization of its fleet structure. Escort Division 15, based at Ominato and previously operating three ships, now includes Yubetsu. One existing ship from Ominato will be transferred to Yokosuka, resulting in no net change in the number of hulls at the base. The deployment of a Mogami-class vessel to the northern fleet coincides with this restructuring, which will transform existing escort divisions into surface combatant squadrons and maritime patrol defense units. This development aligns with the JMSDF’s intent to maintain forward-deployed operational presence across the archipelago using compact, multi-functional platforms. JS Yubetsu, as a representative of the current generation of JMSDF multi-role frigates, reflects a programmatic shift toward automation, modularity, and multipurpose capabilities, and it plays a role in supporting distributed maritime operations, mine warfare, anti-submarine missions, and surface combat under evolving regional security requirements.