A new type of landing ship being launched for the JGSDF. (JGSDF)
Japan's Naikai Shipbuilding has launched the first ship in a new class of landing craft utility (LCU) vessels that will be used to bolster its armed forces' interisland mobility.
The vessel, which has been named Nihonbare , was launched at the company's Setoda shipyard on 29 October, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) disclosed in a statement released via an official social media page on the same day.
Nihonbare will be operated by a new triservice maritime unit, which is tentatively known as the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Maritime Transport Group, according to the JGSDF statement.
“The LCU vessel will be used to transport troops and supplies to shallow island ports,” the JGSDF said in the statement.
“The acquisition of the transport vessel will enable swift and reliable transportation in the Nansei Islands and other areas dotted with many large and small islands, ensuring island defence,” it added.
Nansei Islands is the Japanese term for the chain of features that are located between Japan's Kyushu island and Taiwan.
No details of the vessel were provided in the JGSDF statement but in response to Janes questions, the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) has clarified that the vessel has an overall length of 80 m, an overall beam of 17 m, and a draught of 3 m. Its top speed is 15 kt and displaces about 2,400 tonnes at standard loads.
It has been applied with the pennant number 4151 and is equipped with vertical opening bow doors, which would presumably also be equipped with a bow ramp for roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vehicle operations.
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