June 30, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has delivered the warship Nagara to Japan’s Ministry of Defense, the tenth frigate in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) Mogami-class program.
As disclosed, the delivery took place at MHI’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Nagasaki. The vessel was ordered in fiscal 2022 as part of Japan’s surface combatant modernization effort.
Nagara follows nine earlier ships in the class—Mogami, Kumano, Noshiro, Mikuma, Yahagi, Agano, Niyodo, Yubetsu and Natori—all of which have already been handed over to the Ministry of Defense.
The ship has a length of 133 meters, a beam of 16.3 meters, and a displacement of around 3,900 tons. It is powered by a combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion system and has a maximum speed of about 30 knots.
According to specifications provided by MHI, Nagara is armed with a 5-inch naval gun, SeaRAM close-in weapon system, surface-to-ship missile launchers, anti-submarine warfare systems, mine countermeasures systems and a vertical launching system.
Construction began with keel laying in July 2023, followed by launch in December 2024, before delivery in June 2026.
The Mogami-class program is intended to provide the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force with multi-mission surface combatants designed for anti-submarine warfare, mine warfare and surface strike operations.
In May this year, Japan received the ninth vessel in this program, Natori.