Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has launched the twelfth and final Mogami-class frigate for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force at its Nagasaki shipyard, marking the completion of a key naval modernization program. The vessel, to be commissioned as JS Yoshii (FFM-12), is named after the Yoshii River in Okayama Prefecture and represents the final step in replacing Japan’s aging Abukuma-class escort ships. The launch follows a ¥58.3-billion contract awarded in February 2024 and caps a program that began construction in 2019. Eight Mogami-class ships are already operational, while three more are in advanced outfitting stages. Designed as stealthy, multi-mission surface combatants, the frigates displace around 4,000 tons, operate with lean crews of about 90 sailors, and reach speeds near 30 knots. Their armament includes a 127-millimeter gun, surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine weapons, torpedoes, and mine-laying systems, giving the JMSDF flexible options across surface, subsurface, and air-defense missions.
