Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has officially unveiled the Japan Coast Guard’s next-generation large patrol vessel, JS Yashima (PLH-46), during a launch ceremony at the company’s Shimonoseki Shipyard Enoura Plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The 134-meter patrol ship is being constructed under a 19.6 billion yen (US$124.5 million) supplemental defense budget approved for fiscal year 2023. The vessel belongs to the latest Mizuho-class patrol ship series and is intended to succeed the original JS Yashima (PLH-22), which entered service in 1988 but is being decommissioned ahead of schedule due to extensive structural wear. Named after “Yashima no Kuni,” a classical poetic name for Japan, the new vessel combines modern maritime security capabilities with historical significance. Capable of operating at speeds above 25 knots, the patrol ship includes a helicopter flight deck and hangar designed to support two medium-sized helicopters, such as the Bell 412 or Sikorsky S-76D. The platform is optimized for maritime security operations, disaster response, and search-and-rescue missions, while its armament includes 40mm and 20mm weapon systems as well as remote-operated water cannons for non-lethal enforcement. Once outfitting and integration of propulsion, sensors, and onboard systems are complete, the vessel is expected to be handed over to the Japan Coast Guard in 2027.
