Japan begins work on naval patrol vessels to boost surveillance

Japan Times

15-04-2025

Japan has begun construction work on the first four of a planned fleet of 12 next-generation offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF). Equipped with state-of-the-art systems, the new ships will not only allow Tokyo to step up surveillance and monitoring of its waters, but also let it do so with far smaller crews, taking into account the service's manpower issues.
The Defense Ministry revealed in a recent press publication that the Japan Marine United Corp. held a keel-laying ceremony in February for the service's first four ships of the type in Yokohama after ¥35.7 billion ($249 million) were allocated in fiscal 2023, amounting to around ¥9 billion per ship.
The first two OPVs are scheduled to enter the water in November while the other two will do so next March. All four are slated for delivery to the MSDF in March 2027.
'Japan is surrounded by a vast sea area, including territorial waters and exclusive economic zones — the sixth-largest in the world — and the Maritime Self-Defense Force conducts around-the-clock surveillance of ships navigating around Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and other areas,' the ministry said, adding that the new OPVs are meant to help strengthen these activities and ensure the safety of maritime traffic.
In its Defense Buildup Program released in late 2022, the Defense Ministry also noted that the OPVs would conduct 'overseas deployment for security cooperation with other countries.'
The new vessels will be based on a modular system, which enables customization that allows them to perform a variety of additional roles, including disaster relief. They will also be more capable than similar vessels through a combination of adaptability, sustainability and automation, according to the ministry's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA).
For instance, the agency said that the 95-meter-long and 12-meter-wide ships will require fewer personnel — around 30 — and feature autonomous navigation systems, as well as advanced equipment for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
The ships, which are said to be easy to maintain, will also have stealth features such as a low radar cross-section design and include a multipurpose hangar and deck space for modular payloads. They will be armed with a 30mm main gun and a standard displacement of approximately 1,920 tons, according to ATLA.
The beginning of OPV construction comes amid a flurry of activity by Russian but especially Chinese military and coast guard vessels around Japan, particularly near the Senkaku Islands. These uninhabited islands in the East China Sea are administered by Tokyo but are also claimed by China, which maintains an almost permanent coast guard presence near the islets.
But it's unlikely that the new OPVs would directly support the Japan Coast Guard's own presence around the Senkakus as this could prompt Beijing to also deploy its navy near the disputed islands. Rather, it's likely that they could be sent to patrol other parts of Japan's far-flung southwestern islands.
China, which already fields the world's largest navy, has also been extending its reach far across the Pacific, conducting naval patrols as far as Australia. The volatile security situation in the region has prompted Japan to up its game and boost its own military capabilities, including by ramping up defense spending and adopting a tougher defense posture.
Last year, Tokyo lodged a strong protest with Beijing after a Chinese Navy survey ship entered Japanese territorial waters off Kagoshima Prefecture — just days following the first foray into Japanese airspace by a Chinese military aircraft.
The incident, along with an uptick in Chinese aerial deployments around Japanese airspace, served as another indication that Beijing is unlikely to stop testing Japan's surveillance and response capabilities.