Hibiki-class_ocean_surveillance_ship
The Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ship is a class of surveillance ships operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.[1][2] The ships have a small-waterplane-area twin hull (SWATH) design.[3]
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The Hibiki class was developed in response to the launch of the Kilo-class submarines by the Soviet Union, and their deployments in the waters near Japan.[4] The Defense Agency announced plans to develop a surveillance ship in 1989.[4]
The first Hibiki-class vessel was commissioned on January 23, 1991, and the second, Harima, on March 10, 1992.[5]
All three vessels of the class have been built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding at its Tamano shipyard.[1]
Hibiki and Harima operate out of Kure, Hiroshima.[4] The United States and Japan reportedly split the costs of operating the Hibiki vessels, which approximately US$20 million per year.[4]
Hibiki-class vessels have a beam of 30 metres (98 ft 5 in), a top speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph), and a standard range of 3,800 nautical miles (7,000 km; 4,400 mi).[6] Each vessel has a crew of 40, including five American civilian technicians, and a flight deck for helicopters to operate off of.[1][7] They are able to deploy on station for 90 days.[7]
The vessels have an AN/UQQ-2 Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS), which is installed in the United States.[2][7] Data from the sensors is relayed through the Defense Satellite Communications System, and processed and shared with the United States.[7] The data is fed into the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System.[4]
Propulsion is provided by four Mitsubishi S6U-MPTK diesel electric engines.[3] The third ship was equipped with a Daihatsu diesel MTU.[8]
| Pennant no. | Name | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Home port | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOS-5201 | Hibiki | 28 November 1989 | 27 July 1990 | 30 January 1991 | Kure | |
| AOS-5202 | Harima | 26 December 1990 | 11 September 1991 | 10 March 1992 | Kure | |
| AOS-5203 | Aki | October 2018 | 15 January 2020 | 4 March 2021 | [1] | |
| FY Reiwa4 AOS[9] | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
- Dominguez, Gabriel (February 3, 2020). "Japan launches third Hibiki-class ocean surveillance ship". Jane's Information Group.
- "AOS Hibiki Class". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017.
- "AOS Hibiki Class". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on September 5, 2009.
- War is Boring (July 4, 2014). "Japan's Ears on the Sea". Medium. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017.
- Kim, Duk-Ki (12 October 2012). Naval Strategy in Northeast Asia: Geo-strategic Goals, Policies and Prospects. Routledge. p. 207. ISBN 978-1-136-32636-3.
- Jane, Frederick Thomas (2010). Jane's Fighting Ships. S. Low, Marston & Company. p. 433. ISBN 978-0-7106-2920-3.
- Graham, Euan (16 November 2005). Japan's Sea Lane Security: A Matter of Life and Death?. Routledge. p. 404. ISBN 978-1-134-25091-2.
- "ダイハツディーゼルの新たな取組みについて" (PDF). dhtd.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- "我が国の防衛と予算" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 26 July 2023.