SUPERFERRIES

ERA OF THE SUPERFERRIES

Russell Plummer looks back at ferry developments as bigger ships became the norm during a period of vessel growth that began in the Baltic in the 1980s, before spreading around the world.

There are now more than 25 ferries in excess of 40,000gt in regular operation on routes across the world, eight of them on services from ports in Britain and Ireland, with their ranks due to swell over the next three years by some from nearly 30 newly built vessels, including four whose tonnage easily exceeds 60,000.

It was Baltic trend-setters Viking Line who originally raised the bar when looking to the Wärtsilä yard at Turku, Finland to complete the 37,799gt Mariella for their ‘Capital Cities’ route between Helsinki and Stockholm in 1985, with 37,583gt sister Olympia following a year later. They were owned, respectively, by Viking Line partners SF Line of Mariehamn and Rederi AB Slite, who carried on after the original third Viking partner, Rederi AB Sally, left the group. Mariella became the world’s largest ferry, making her maiden sailing on 17 May 1985. In the fi rst 12 months

of service she never sailed with fewer than 1,000 passengers. Olympia joined her on 28 May 1986, the pair each offering 2,477 berths in 841 cabins for overnight crossings in either direction. The ships’ catering facilities included massive buffet restaurants, which could seat 556 passengers. Mariella remains a fi rm favourite 35 years later, still plying the same waters for Viking Line, with calls en route between Stockholm and Helsinki at Åland Islands capital Mariehamn. Olympia

was taken on charter by P&O Ferries and, from 1993 until the route closed in autumn 2010, linked Portsmouth with Bilbao or Santander in Northern Spain as Pride of Bilbao. She returned to the Baltic for a role in a cruise-ferry operation from Stockholm to St Petersburg via Helsinki and Tallinn as SPL Princess Anastasia for what is now a joint venture between St Peter Line and Italian operator Moby. Viking Line’s continued investment quickly boosted passenger carryings and did

 Color Line’s 75,126gt Color Magic, in Kieler Forde, just edges out 75,027gt sister Color Fantasy as the largest ferry. COLIN WRIGHT

 The 57,565gt Viking Grace, built in 2013 takes wind assistance from a sail mechanism housed in the top deck tower ahead of the funnel.

 Stena Britannica arriving at Hook of Holland. NICHOLAS LEACH

not go unnoticed by Silja Line, another consortium of companies competing on Baltic services. They had got in fi rst with bigger new vessels, bringing in the near 26,000gt sisters Finlandia and Silvia Regina in 1981.

SILJA’S GIANTS A decade on, owning companies Finland Steamship Co (EFFOA) and Johnson Line of Sweden again invested heavily in three newbuildings, the 58,375gt sisters Silja Serenade and Silja Symphony, from Finland’s Masa Yards to join the Stockholm-Helsinki service in 1990 and 1991, and the 59,912gt Silja Europa sailing Stockholm-Tallinn in 1993. The 46,938gt Cinderella, now running as Viking Cinderella, joined the Stockholm-Mariehamn route in 1989, and after the bankruptcy of the Slite company in 1993 SF Line became sole operators, changing their name to Viking Line. The 40,039gt twins Athena and Kalypso appeared from Turku, Finland in 1989

THE TOP TEN

RANK GT NAME ROUTE

1 75,156 COLOR MAGIC

2 3 75,027 COLOR FANTASY

64,039 STENA BRITANNICA Oslo Kiel

Oslo-Kiel

Harwich-Hook

4 5 6 7

8

9 10 63,600

59,925

59,925

59,912 STENA HOLLANDICA Harwich-Hook

PRIDE OF HULL PRIDE OF ROTTERDAM SILJA EUROPA Hull-Rotterdam

Hull-Rotterdam

Stockholm-Tallinn

58,376 SILJA SERENADE

58,376

57,565 SILJA SYMPHONY VIKING GRACE Stockholm-Helsinki

Stockholm -Helsinki

Stockholm-Turku

and 1990, but sailed for Viking Line only into 1993, when they were sold to Far East cruise operators. Kalypso remains as Star Pisces, while her sister, then Star Aquarius, returned to northern waters, joining DFDS’s CopenhagenOslo route as Pearl of Scandinavia in 2001. She now sails as Pearl Seaways opposite Crown Seaways, the 35,489gt Croatia-built ferry which never made it into Baltic service with Euroway. She was bought by DFDS to debut as Crown of Scandinavia in 1994, with the name altered to Crown Seaways in 2013. In 2008 the 35,778gt liquid natural gas-powered Viking XRPS was introduced to run between Helsinki and Tallinn in response to growing competition. Further investment brought Viking Grace (57,565gt) onto the Stockholm-Turku via Åland route in 2013, with overnight beds for all of a 1,288-passenger complement. She now boasts a top deck tower with sails, which provides wind power in support of her engines. No w the company awaits their biggest ever vessel, the 63,800gt Viking Glory. Building at China’s Xaimen Yard, she is due to be delivered in December 2020 and will be fi tted with two sail towers.

There was a big change for Silja Line in May 2006, when it was bought by Estonian operator Tallink, although operations continued, with vessels initially retaining their original branding and remaining on existing routes. Then Tallink’s 48,300gt Galaxy, built in 2006 by Aker Yards in Rauma, Finland, appeared on Silja’s StockholmÅland-Turku route with a striking blue-and-white livery, while near sister Baltic Princess now runs opposite Galaxy in Silja colours, and Baltic Queen has Tallink branding for StockholmMariehamn trips. The 33,818gt Silja Festival, originally built as Wellamo in 1986, switched to the Tallink service from Stockholm to Riga until her Baltic days ended in 2015 with a sale to Corsica

Italy’s infl uential Grimaldi Group, also owners of Baltic ro-ro specialist Finnlines and Greece’s Minoan Lines, collectively provide six of the current Top 25. Their largest pair are the 54,919gt Cruise Europa and Cruise Olympia, delivered by Fincantieri in 2009 and 2010

Ferries to link Livorno with Golfo Aranca as Mega Andrea. Stena Europa also joined Tallink in 2013 and, after a charter in Australian waters from 2014 to 2016, came back to the Baltic. She runs between Stockholm and Tallinn, where ferry traffi c developed substantially after Estonia gained independence from Russian infl uence in 1991 and joined the European Union in 2005.

LARGEST OF THE FERRIES The world’s largest ferries currently in service are Color Line twins Color Fantasy and running in Minoan colours on the Greece-Italy connection from Patras to Ancona, with calls each way at Igoumenitsa. They followed the Civitavecchia-Barcelona route’s 2008 Fincantieri-built Cruise Barcelona (54,310gt) and Cruise

(2004/75,027gt) and Color Magic (2007/75,156gt), which link Oslo with Kiel in Germany on crossings taking 19 hours 30 minutes. Color Line also use 2008-built pair Superspeed 1 (36,822gt) and Superspeed 2 (34,231) on routes from Hirtshals, Denmark to the Norwegian ports Kristiansand and Larvik. Marginally smaller than the Color Line pair are Stena Line’s 2010-built Harwich-Hook of Holland route twins Stena Britannica (64,039gt) and Stena Hollandica (63,600gt), which have 1,380 overnight

At 59,912gt, Silja Europa, dating from 1993, and seen leaving Stockholm for Turku, was the largest vessel built for Silja Line, but is now operating in Tallink colours between Stockholm and the Estonian capital, Tallinn.

Roma (53,360gt) running for Grimaldi’s Grandi Navi Veloce from Barcelona to Civitavecchia, while another notable GNV pair, La Suprema (29,270gt) and La Superba (49,257gt), delivered from the Italian Apuania Yard in 2002 and 2003, link Genoa with Olbia in Sardinia.

berths and 5,560 lane metres of vehicle space. They were built by Germany’s Waden yards. The bow sections came from Warnemünde with stern units and assembly undertaken at Wismar.

Another long-established North Sea route from Hull to Rotterdam is also in the hands of purpose-built sisters, the 59,925gt Pride of Rotterdam and Pride of Hull. P&O Ferries looked to Fincantieri’s yard near Venice for the 2010-built twins, which operate from Hull’s Humber River berth. They replaced the 1987-built sisters Norland and Norsea,

which locked in and out of the King George V dock.

The short English Channel crossing between Dover and Calais also boasts its largest vessels, with P&O currently leading the way with 47,492gt twins Spirit of Britain and Spirit of France, which came from STX in Finland in 2011 and 2012. They have a service speed of 22 knots, carrying up to 2,000 passengers, with 2,741 lane metres of vehicles. P&O also have two 230m/44,600gt ferries on order from China for delivery in 2023, with a further pair likely to appear in 2024. Two vessels from the Irish Ferries fleet are in the current top 25: the 54,985gt W. B. Yeats debuted early in 2019 after delivery delays from the FSG yard at Flensburg, Germany. During the summer up to 1,800 passengers are

 The 2018-built 48,915gt Baltic Princess brings her own distinctive slant to Silja Line colours, running from Stockholm to Turku, while sister Baltic Queen links Stockholm with Åland Islands capital Mariehamn.

Cherbourg, with 2,800 lane metres of vehicle space. Winter

brings a switch to the Irish Sea Central Corridor connection

between Dublin and Holyhead, opposite the 50,938gt Ulysses,

which was built at Rauma, Finland and came into service

in March 2001. Irish Ferries also have an even larger

vessel on order: the unnamed 67,300gt giant was originally

due from FSG in 2020 but has now been delayed.

The vessel in 17th place in the table is the 52,645gt

Tanit, built by Daewoo in South Korea in 2012 and

part of the fleet of Cotunav’s Tunisia Ferries network.

She plies between Tunis and Genoa, taking 3,200

passengers, with cabin berths for 2,400. The big emphasis

is on passengers and cars, with a comparatively modest 1,365

lane metres of vehicle spa ce.

In our next issue,

Superferries Part 2 will spotlight the world’s largest ferries now under construction or due in service by 2024.

 P&O’s Spirit of France (left) arrives in Dover as sister ship Spirit of Britain begins a voyage to Calais. Introduced in 2011 and 2012 they are the largest vessels on the English Channel’s short sea crossings. P&O FERRIES

 W. B. Yeats is now close to completing a first year of Irish Ferries service and, after wintering on the Irish Sea’s Dublin-Holyhead route, will be linking Dublin with Cherbourg through summer 2020. NICHOLAS LEACH

WORLD’S TOP 25 FERRIES 2020 VESSEL OPERATOR BUILT GT PASS/BEDS LANE M. ROUTE COLOR MAGIC Color Line 2007 75,156 2,700/2,975 1,265 Oslo Kiel COLOR FANTASY Color Line 2004 75,027 2,770/2,765 1,280 Oslo-Kiel STENA BRITANNICA Stena Line 2010 64,039 1,200/1,380 5,566 Harwich-Hook STENA HOLLANDICA Stena Line 2010 63,600 1,200/1,380 5,562 Harwich-Hook PRIDE OF HULL P&O Ferries 2001 59,925 1,360/1,375 3,348 Hull-Rotterdam PRIDE OF ROTTERDAM P&O Ferries 2000 59,925 1,360/1,375 3,348 Hull-Rotterdam SILJA EUROPA Tallink/Silja 1993 59,912 3,123/3,746 932 Stockholm-Tallinn SILJA SERENADE Tallink/Silja 1990 58,376 2,852/3,041 950 Stockholm-Helsinki SILJA SYMPHONY Tallink/Silja 1991 58,376 2,852/3,041 950 Stockholm -Helsinki VIKING GRACE Viking Line 2013 57,565 2,800/2,800 1,275 Stockholm-Turk STENA SCANDINAVIA Stena Line 2003 55,050 1,300/1,040 4,220 Gothenburg-Kiel W. B. YEATS Irish Ferries 2019 54,985 1,850/1,774 2,800 Dublin-Cherbourg CRUISE EUROPA Grimaldi-Minoan 2009 54,919 3,000/1,912 3,060 Patras-Ancona CRUISE OLYMPIA Grimaldi-Minoan 2010 54,919 3,000/1,912 3,060 Patras-Ancona CRUISE BARCELONA GNV 2008 54,310 2,143/1,912 3,060 Civitav-Barcelona CRUISE ROMA GNV 2008 53,360 2,143/1,912 3,060 Civitav-Barcelona TANIT Cotunav 2012 52,645 3,200/2,400 1,365 Genoa-Tunis STENA GERMANICA Stena Line 2001 51,837 1,300/1,375 4,000 Gothenburg-Kiel ULYSSES Irish Ferries 2001 50,938 1,875/228 4,101 Dublin-Holyhead LA SUPREMA GNV 2003 49,270 3,000/2,148 2,800 Genoa-Olbia LA SUPERBA GNV 2004 49,257 3,000/2,418 2,800 Genoa-Olbia BALTIC PRINCESS Silja Line 2008 48,915 2,800/2,500 1,130 Stockholm-Turku BALTIC QUEEN Tallink 2009 48,915 2,800/2,500 1,130 Stockholm-Aland GALAXY Silja Line 2006 48,915 2,600/2,200 1,130 Stockholm-Turku SPIRIT OF BRITAIN P&O Ferries 2011 47,592 2,000/nil 2,741 Dover-Calais SPIRIT OF FRANCE P&O Ferries 2012 47,592 2,000/nil 2,741 Dover-Calais

Conrad Waters looks at the expanding ambitions of the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, which is one of Asia’s largest fleets.

JAPAN MARITIME SELF DEFENCE FORCE

The defeat of Japan by the Allied powers at the end of World War II resulted in the disbandment of the once-powerful Imperial Japanese Navy. A new Japanese Constitution enacted in May 1947 declared that land, sea and air forces would never be maintained. This provision still remains in force. In spite of the prohibition, the threat to Japan during the Cold War produced an interpretation of the constitution that allowed the establishment of three Japan Self Defence Forces in 1954. The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, or JMSDF became, in effect, the country’s new navy. The JMSDF was initially designed largely to operate with the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet as a counter to the Soviet Union’s own powerful naval forces in the region. It became particularly focused on anti-submarine warfare and minesweeping roles.

The end of the Cold War and the emergence of new threats has seen a steady broadening of the JMSDF’s responsibilities. Notably, the need to counter North Korea’s nuclear warhead and missile programmes has led to the acquisition of ballistic missile defence capabilities. China’s growing maritime power is also viewed with concern. This has resulted in

forces. This picture shows the Aegis-equipped air defence destroyer Kongou (DDG-173) operating with the general-purpose destroyers

Fuyuzuki (DD-118) and Takanami (DD-110) in November 2018. US NAVY

the recent decision to reinstate an aircraft carrier capability, the first time since World War II Japan will have operated fixed wing aircraft at sea.

ORGANISATION The JMSDF has around 45,000 personnel. It operates from five main naval bases dotted around the Japanese home islands at Yokosuka, Sasebo, Maizuru, Kure and Ominato. The first four are the home ports of the four escort groups which form the main component of Japan’s surface naval forces. Each escort group comprises two divisions or squadrons of four ships and encompasses carrier-like ‘helicopter-carrying destroyers’ and powerful anti-aircraft

 Japan’s helicopter-carrying destroyer Hyuga (DDH-181) operating with the US Navy aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). The post-war JMSDF was initially designed to complement the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet.

destroyers equipped with the US Aegis combat system.

Each of the five naval bases also contains district forces. These are made up of smaller and older surface escorts, as well as flotillas of mine countermeasures vessels, and are currently focused on local defence. However, the Japanese national defence programme guidelines released at the end of 2018 envisage these forces being formed into two new groups to increase their flexibility.

The JMSDF also maintains flotillas of diesel-electricpowered submarines organised into six squadrons , based at Yokosuka and Kure. The warships and submarines are supplemented by a powerful air arm, which has approaching 200 helicopters and land-based maritime patrol aircraft.

HELICOPTER OPS Japan’s four DDH helicopter carrying destroyers are the jewels of its surface fleet. Effectively mini-helicopter carriers with full length flight decks, they entered service in two pairs between 2009 and 2017. The initial Hyuga (DDH-181) class are configured for anti-submarine operations and have some similarities with the former Royal Navy Invincible class as originally designed.

They are able to deploy far more helicopters than their official outfit of three SH-60 Seahawk and one AW-101 machines. However, their relatively short 197m-long flight decks make them poorly suited for operating fixed-wing jets. This limitation is not present in the following pair of Izumo (DDH-183) class ships, which are almost 250m in length. Although they were initially designed only for helicopters, persistent reports suggested they might be adapted to deploy the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter. These were confirmed at the end of 2018, when the Japanese Government state it did, indeed, intend to modify the ships for F-35B operation.

SUBMARINES

The AIP-equipped Soryu class submarines are Japan’s most modern submarine design. This is Jinryu (SS-507) shortly after launch in 2014.

The JMSDF’s surface warships are complemented by its powerful force of diesel-electric submarines. These are among the largest conventionally powered submersibles in current service, reflecting the long-distance nature of maritime operations in the Pacific. Although Japan has a large civilian nuclear sector, the legacy of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki means there is a prohibition on using nuclear technology for military purposes. The current submarine force is split into two classes. The 11 older boats of the Oyashio (SS-590) class entered service from the late 1990s. Nine remain in active service, with the initial pair having been converted for training. Displacing around 4,000 tonnes in submerged conditions and armed with Harpoon missiles and indigenous Type 89 homing torpedoes, they remain potent vessels.

The more recent Soryu (SS-501) class started commissioning in 2009. Ten currently serve with the fleet and a further two are being built. The completed submarines are fitted with the Swedish-designed Stirling airindependent propulsion system for longer underwater endurance.

Those under construction will be fitted with new generation lithiumion batteries. Li-ion technology will also be fitted to an improved class of submarine that entered construction in 2017. Current plans envisage expanding the active submarine force to 22 boats. Two additional units will continue to be used for training.

SURFACE COMBATANTS The bulk of the JMSDF’s surface fleet comprises around 45 destroyers and destroyer escorts. These are to be increased to a total of 50 ships over the next decade. They can be broadly divided into three main types.

The most powerful Japanese destroyers are the six ships equipped with the US Aegis

combat system. Four entered service between 1993 and 1998, the the Kongou (DDG173) class, and these are broadly similar to the early US Navy Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) design. Two additional ships, commissioned as the Atago (DG-177) class in 2007 and 2008, are larger and equipped with helicopter hangars. They have much in common with

 An unidentified Japanese Oyashio class submarine arriving at the

naval base at Yokosuka close to Tokyo in August 2013. One of five main Japanese naval bases, Yokosuka also acts as a base for forward

The JMSDF destroyers Kirisame (DD-104) and Asayuki (DD-132), pictured in 2018. Japanese general-purpose destroyer designs have undergone a steady process of evolution from the early 1980s. US NAVY

are a series of generalpurpose escort designs that trace their origins to the Hatsuyuki (DD-122) class of the early 1980s. The class added surface-to-surface and short-range surface-to-air missiles to the traditional gun-based armament of earlier JMSDF escorts. They also introduced innovations such as gas turbine propulsion and an embarked helicopter.

The Hatsuyuki design has been progressively evolved over succeeding classes. The latest iteration is the pair of Asahi (DD-119) class destroyers commissioned in 2018 and 2019. They use an innovative combined gas turbine-electric and gas turbine (COGLAG) propulsion system.

The balance of the surface combatant force is comprised of the six smaller destroyer escorts of the Abukuma (DE229) class. Entering service

 Shimokita (LST-4002) is one of three Osumi class tank landing ships. They are equipped with a lengthy flight deck and well dock, and their role is quite similar to that performed by the US Navy’s dock landing ships.

 The JMSDF maintains a large force of mine countermeasures vessels. This is the lead ship of the Enoshima class, the first Japanese minehunters to have reinforced plastic hulls.

 The Hayabusa class fast attack craft Umitaka (PG-828). Japan’s latest defence review envisages additional patrol vessels.

in the early 1990s, they are intended for anti-submarine and anti-surface roles in littoral waters. The JMSDF has subsequently focused its resources on acquiring larger types of escort, but this may be reversed in an effort to increase overall force numbers.

OTHER VESSELS The front-line JMSDF units are supplemented by a number of minor combatants and auxiliary vessels. Prominent among these are around 25 mine countermeasures vessels of various types. These would be essential in keeping Japanese ports open in time of conflict. In contrast to many European navies, Japan continued building woodenhulled minehunters well into the 21st century. However, the latest Enoshima (MSC604) and Awaji (MSO-304) classes have transitioned to the use of reinforced plastics.

The JMSDF is currently reducing its manned mine countermeasure vessel force and plans to place greater reliance on autonomous vehicles, deployable from a range of vessels, in future. It is hoped that this will provide the money and manpower

SUPPORT & HELICOPTER CARRIERS: 4

Helicopter Carrier – DDH Izumo (DDH-183) 2 27,000tons 248m x 38m x 7m COGAG, 30 knots 470 2015

Helicopter Carrier – DDH Hyuga (DDH-181) 2 19,000 tons 197m x 33m x 7m COGAG, 30 knots 340 2009

PRINCIPAL SURFACE ESCORTS: 44 (3)

Destroyer – DDG Atago (DDG-177) 2 10,000 tons 165m x 21m x 6m COGAG, 30 knots 300 2007

Destroyer – DDG Kongou (DDG-173) 4 9,500 tons 161m x 21m x 6m COGAG, 30 knots 300 1993

Destroyer – DDG Hatakaze (DDG-171) 2 6,300 tons 150m x 16m x 5m COGAG, 30 knots 260 1986

Destroyer – DDG Asahi (DD-119) 2 6,800 tons 151m x 18m x 5m COGLAG, 30 knots 230 2017

Destroyer – DDG Akizuki (DD-115) 4 6,800 tons 151m x 18m x 5m COGAG, 30 Knots 200 2012

Destroyer – DDG Takanami (DD-110) 5 6,300 tons 151m x 17m x 5m COGAG, 30 knots 175 2003

Destroyer – DDG Murasame (DD-101) 9 6,200 tons 151m x 17m x 5m COGAG, 30 knots 165 1996

Destroyer – DDG Asagiri (DD-151) 8 4,900 tons 137m x 15m x 5m COGAG, 30 knots 220 1988

Destroyer – DDG Hatsuyuki (DD-122) 2 (3) 3,800 tons 130m x 14m x 4m COGOG, 30 knots 200 1982

Frigate – FFG Abukuma (DE-229) 6 2,500 tons 109m x 13m x 4m CODOG, 27 knots 120 1989

SUBMARINES: 19 (2)

Submarine – SSK Soryu (SS-501) 10 4,200 tons 84m x 9m x 8m Diesel- electric AIP, 20 knots 65 2009

Submarine – SSK Oyashio (SS-590) 9 (2) 4,000 tons 82m x 9m x 8m Diesel-electric, 20 knots 70 1998

MAJOR AMPHIBIOUS UNITS: 3

Landing Platform Dock – LPD Osumi (LST-4001) 3 14,000 tons 178m x 26m x 6m Diesel, 22 knots 135 1998

Notes • Figures in brackets refer to trials or training ships; COGAG = combined gas and gas; COGLAG = combined gas electric and gas; COGOG = combined gas or gas;

CODOG = combined diesel or gas; AIP = air-independent propulsion.

needed for the larger destroyer and submarine forces previously mentioned. It is also planned to acquire more patrol vessels to supplement the existing Hayabusa (PG-284) class fast attack craft.

Although the JMSDF’s defensive role has limited international deployments, a small fleet of replenishment oilers is maintained to help resupply the escort groups, and new ships are planned. Other important ships include the three ‘through deck’ Osumi (LST-4001) class tank landing ships, which incorporate a well deck similar to that found in US Navy dock landing ships. Amphibious capabilities are growing in importance, given the perceived Chinese threat to Japan’s southern island chain.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS The new Japanese defence programme guidelines revealed at the end of 2018 confirmed previously announced efforts to expand the frontline fleet to 54 escorts (including the four helicopter carrying destroyers) and 22 submarines while establishing a new requirement for a total of 12 patrol vessels. The purchase of F-35B jets for Izumo and her sister Kaga was the other notable development.

Some compromises have been inevitable to help achieve these ambitious objectives, given limited increases in funding. The previous

trend of constructing larger destroyers has been reversed in favour of a more compact 3,900-tonne type that will be cheaper to build and be optimised for deploying new technologies. Two of these were ordered in 2018 and another pair has been authorised in the FY2019 defence budget. The number of manned minehunters is also likely to continue to fall. The challenge of introducing jet fighters on board the Izumo class should not be underestimated, given Japan’s lack of experience in this area. Significant alterations to the design will be required to mitigate the effects of heat from the F-35Bs’ jet engines, while the training burden will be enormous. However, the JMSDF’s long and close relationship with the US Navy should ensure the necessary support is available.

In conclusion, the JMSDF is a significant fleet which is able to field some impressive warships and submarines. With tensions in the Asia-Pacific region continuing at a high level, its national importance can only increase.