On July 2, 2025, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) reached a significant milestone with the naming and launch of JS Tatsuta (FFM-11) at the Tamano Shipyard operated by Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding. The ceremony, attended by officials from the Ministry of Defense, shipbuilders, and defense industry leaders, was a continuation of a decade-long transformation of Japan’s surface fleet—one that is redefining the balance of power in the Western Pacific.
JS Tatsuta, the eleventh ship in the cutting-edge Mogami-class series of multi-mission frigates, inherits the core design and combat characteristics first envisioned in the 30FFM (30DX) program initiated in the 2010s. Designed to serve as agile, versatile platforms across a wide range of missions, these ships embody the intersection of technological innovation, strategic deterrence, and industrial continuity.
The 30FFM program—named after its designation in the Japanese fiscal year Heisei 30 (2018)—was launched in response to a broad array of operational and strategic challenges. By the mid-2010s, Japan faced an aging fleet composed of legacy destroyers such as the Asagiri- and Abukuma-class. Meanwhile, the strategic environment had shifted rapidly, with increased Chinese maritime activity in the East China Sea, the rise of gray-zone threats, and growing demands for maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific.
The Ministry of Defense tasked Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding with co-developing a new generation of general-purpose escort ships. Unlike Japan’s larger Aegis-equipped destroyers, the 30FFM was to be compact, cost-efficient, and heavily automated—yet capable of performing anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), mine countermeasures, and support for humanitarian missions.
This would become the Mogami-class: a vessel designed not only for today’s conflicts, but also for tomorrow’s emerging battlefields—multi-domain, networked, and unmanned.
The JS Tatsuta is a 5,500-ton (full load) guided-missile frigate measuring 133 meters in length with a beam of 16.3 meters. Its propulsion system employs a Combined Diesel and Gas (CODAG) architecture, integrating a powerful Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine with two MAN diesel engines, granting the ship speeds in excess of 30 knots and a range of over 9,000 kilometers—making it highly deployable across the Indo-Pacific.
Combat systems are anchored by a 127mm Mark 45 Mod 4 naval gun for shore bombardment and surface engagements, supported by a 16-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). The VLS allows for the launch of a variety of missiles including surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-submarine rockets (ASROCs), thereby providing limited area air defense and deep strike capabilities.
To counter surface threats, JS Tatsuta carries two quadruple launchers for the domestically-developed Type 17 (SSM-2) anti-ship missiles, an evolution of Japan’s proven Type 90 family. A SeaRAM close-in weapon system (CIWS) and two triple 324mm torpedo tubes provide point defense and undersea warfare capabilities, respectively.
What sets the ship apart in the modern maritime theater is its high degree of automation. An advanced integrated combat system, derived from the earlier Aegis and FCS-3A combat networks, allows the frigate to operate with a crew of just 90 personnel. This is a strategic response to Japan’s demographic challenges and a bid to reduce long-term personnel costs while retaining operational effectiveness.
One of the defining aspects of the Mogami-class, including JS Tatsuta, is its full support for multi-domain operations. The ship can deploy and recover unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for tasks such as mine countermeasures (MCM), ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), and electronic warfare.
The ability to support an SH-60L helicopter—Japan’s upgraded version of the Seahawk ASW platform—adds another layer of versatility, providing extended range in sub-hunting, search-and-rescue, and anti-surface operations.
Its mission bay, modular design, and open architecture allow the JS Tatsuta to be rapidly reconfigured. This “plug-and-play” approach is essential in contemporary conflict scenarios where ships may shift roles between patrol, ASW, disaster relief, and interdiction within a single deployment.
The Mogami-class is more than a series of modern warships—it is the foundation of Japan’s future escort fleet. Each unit, including Tatsuta, will form a vital node in Japan’s medium-displacement force structure, complementing high-end destroyers and supporting broader naval task groups.
The class is intended to enable Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO)—a U.S. Navy concept that Japan increasingly mirrors. In DMO, smaller, networked, and autonomous platforms extend a fleet’s reach and resilience, especially in contested regions such as the East China Sea or South China Sea.
Commissioned Mogami-class ships have already been forward-deployed to major JMSDF bases including Yokosuka, Sasebo, Ominato, and Maizuru. These deployments support missions ranging from regular patrols in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to trilateral exercises with allies such as the U.S. and Australia under programs like RIMPAC, Malabar, and Talisman Sabre.
As maritime tensions continue to simmer—particularly over the Senkaku Islands, Taiwan Strait, and South China Sea—the rapid induction of capable frigates like Tatsuta is seen as essential for credible deterrence and situational awareness.
Beyond their tactical and operational relevance, the Mogami-class frigates represent a strategic lifeline for Japan’s naval shipbuilding industry. MHI and Mitsui E&S alternate in producing each hull, ensuring that both remain proficient and competitive.
Key systems, from radars to missile launchers, are produced domestically. This sustains Japan’s defense industrial base and aligns with Tokyo’s policy of defense autonomy—a stance reinforced in Japan’s 2022 National Security Strategy, which called for enhanced defense production and technological innovation.
While the original goal was to produce twelve Mogami-class frigates by fiscal year 2027, the Ministry of Defense is reportedly considering expanding the class to 22 ships in response to shifting regional security dynamics. A fleet of that size would provide Japan with the mass and flexibility to confront multi-axis threats, from North Korean submarines to Chinese carrier groups.
There is also export potential. Although no international sales have been finalized, the Mogami-class has attracted interest from countries in Southeast Asia, particularly those with constrained manpower and budget. Its combination of reduced crew, modularity, and high-end weapon systems positions it well in a competitive global frigate market.
The induction of JS Tatsuta is emblematic of Japan’s broader pivot in naval doctrine—from static sea defense to active maritime shaping and presence operations.
Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy places strong emphasis on maritime domain awareness, freedom of navigation, and regional capacity-building. The Mogami-class frigates enable Japan to project these principles not only through military presence but also through partnership.
Their ability to work seamlessly with U.S. and Australian forces, and potentially with regional navies such as India and the Philippines, enhances alliance resilience and deters coercion. Importantly, these ships support multilateralism at sea—through information sharing, coordinated patrols, and humanitarian response.
Moreover, the stealth features of the class—including an integrated mast, radar-absorbent materials, and reduced radar cross-section—allow these ships to operate discreetly in contested areas. This is critical for intelligence collection, counter-gray zone operations, and peacetime signaling.
With its launch complete, JS Tatsuta will now enter the fitting-out phase, during which systems will be installed and tested. Following this, the ship will undergo sea trials—a process that typically spans several months.
If all proceeds on schedule, Tatsuta will be commissioned into active service by late 2026 or early 2027, joining a growing fleet that includes JS Mogami, JS Kumano, JS Noshiro, and others. The 12th unit is already under construction, and plans for additional ships are being finalized.
Each new frigate brought online helps bridge the gap between legacy capabilities and the demands of future maritime security. As the eleventh hull, JS Tatsuta stands as both a product of meticulous engineering and a symbol of Japan’s maritime resurgence.
The launch of JS Tatsuta (FFM-11) reflects far more than just another ship entering the water. It is the embodiment of a strategic vision born in the 2010s and maturing into one of the most comprehensive surface combatant programs in the Indo-Pacific.
From its CODAG propulsion and VLS armament to unmanned integration and modularity, Tatsuta represents a culmination of lessons learned, threats anticipated, and partnerships envisioned. It is built not only to fight but to adapt—to serve across domains, to deter across horizons, and to operate in tandem with like-minded nations.
