JS ''Kumano'' (FFM-2) is the second ship of the ''Mogami''-class frigate of the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...

(JMSDF). She was named after

Kumano River The is a river in the Kii Peninsula of central Japan, located in Nara, Wakayama and Mie Prefectures. It is long and has a watershed of . The river rises from Mount Ōmine in the Yoshino-Kumano National Park in Tenkawa, Nara and follows a genera ...

and shares her name with a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

heavy cruiser ''Kumano'' and

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

destroyer escort ''Kumano''.

Development and design

In 2015, the Japanese defense budget allocated funds to study the construction of a new “compact-type hull destroyer with additional multi-functional capabilities” as well as a new radar system for the destroyer. In the same year

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...

(MHI) unveiled the frigate's first concept model (30FF) which they have been developing with their own funds. The 30DX design has an overall length of 130 m, breadth of 16 m, a standard displacement of 3900 tons with a full load displacement of about 5500 tons, and a maximum speed of over . Weapons include a Mk 45 gun, two remote weapon station above the bridge, 16

Mk 41 VLS The Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats. The Vertical Launch System (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis C ...

at the bow, 8 anti-ship missiles, one SeaRAM, an SH-60L helicopter, torpedoes, and decoy launchers. It can also deploy and recover UUV, USV, and sea mines from the rear ramp beneath the helideck. It is also expected to use a naval version of the

Type 03 Chū-SAM The or SAM-4 or is a Japanese developed surface-to-air missile system currently in service with the JGSDF. The SAM's vehicle chassis is based on the Kato Works Ltd/Mitsubishi Heavy Industries NK series heavy crane truck. It uses a state-of-the ...

Construction and career

''Kumano'' was

laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

on 30 October 2019 at

Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding () is a Japanese company. It is listed on the Nikkei 225. Mitsui E&S is one of the companies of the Mitsui Group. Established in 1917 as the Shipbuilding Division of Mitsui & Co. with the first shipyard at Tamano. In 1937 the shipyards became ...

Tamano is a city located in southern Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The city was officially founded on August 3, 1940. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 60,101 and a population density of 580 persons per km². The total area i ...

and launched on 19 November 2020. She will be expected to be commissioned in March 2022. While fitting out, her enclosed antenna was installed on 16 February 2021. She began sea trials August 24, 2021 with likely missions of island defense, homeland patrol, and international tours. ''Kumano'' was commissioned on 22 March 2022 and deployed to Yokosuka Naval Base. When JS ''Kumano'' was completed, it was not equipped with VLS, but the budget for VLS will be appropriated later and VLS will be installed.

Gallery

File:JS Kumano(FFM-2) right rear view at Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Tamano Shipyard November 19, 2020 03.jpg, JS ''Kumano'' at Mitsui shipyard,

on 19 November 2020. File:JS Kumano(FFM-2) right rear view at Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Tamano Shipyard November 19, 2020 01.jpg, JS ''Kumano'' at Mitsui shipyard, Tamano on 19 November 2020. File:JS Kumano(FFM-2) right rear view at Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Tamano Shipyard November 19, 2020 05.jpg, JS ''Kumano'' at Mitsui shipyard, Tamano on 19 November 2020. File:JS Kumano(FFM-2) left front view at Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Tamano Shipyard November 19, 2020 03.jpg, JS ''Kumano'' at Mitsui shipyard, Tamano on 19 November 2020 File:The main gun of the JS Kumano（FFM-2）.jpg, Mk-45 Mod 4 naval gun File:Helicopter hangar of the JS Kumano（FFM-2）.jpg, File:JS Kumano（FFM-2）seen from the stern side.jpg,

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumano (FFM-2) 2020 ships Ships built by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Mogami-class frigates