Mitsubishi delivers eighth Mogami-class destroyer

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems, an affiliate of Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, delivered the destroyer JS Yubetsu to Japan's Ministry of Defence on June 19.

The vessel was delivered from the company’s Tamano yard and is the second destroyer of its type to be delivered from that specific yard, following the Kumano.

Yubetsu is the eighth vessel of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's 3,900-ton Mogami-class. It follows the deliveries of seven sister ships, namely: Mogami, Kumano, Noshiro, Mikuma, Yahagi, Agano, and Niyodo. The latter was most recently delivered last May 2.

The destroyer has a length of 133 metres, a beam of 16.3 metres, and a service speed of approximately 30 knots. Its propulsion system consists of one gas turbine and two diesel engines.

The vessel's main weaponry includes a five-inch 62-calibre gun, a SeaRAM system, two SSM devices, a vertical launch system, and systems for both anti-submarine and mine countermeasures.

Construction of the Yubetsu began last August 30, 2022, and the ship was subsequently launched on November 14, 2023.