Class overview | |
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Builders: | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki |
Operators: | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force |
Preceded by: | PG 1-go class |
Building: | - |
Planned: | 6 |
Completed: | 6 |
Active: | 6 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | patrol boat |
Displacement: |
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Length: | 50.1 m (164 ft) |
Beam: | 8.4 m (28 ft) |
Draught: | 4.2 m (14 ft) |
Draft: | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
Propulsion: |
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Speed: | 46 knots (85 km/h; 53 mph) |
Complement: | 21 |
Sensors and processing systems: |
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Electronic warfare & decoys: |
2 × Mk 36 decoys |
Armament: |
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The Hayabusa-class is a guided missile patrol boat class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Six boats were built between 2002 and 2004.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force initially built three hydrofoil missile boats of the PG 1-go class between 1993 and 1995. However, after commissioning, problems with seaworthiness and operational range at mid-speed became clear. As a result, no more ships of this first class of Japanese missile boat were built.
The Hayabusa class was designed to correct these problems. After an incident off the Noto Peninsula involving a North Korea spy ship, two ships of the class were included in the 1999 fiscal year plan. They were named for Imperial Japanese Navy ships, the torpedo boat Hayabusa and the minesweeper Wakataka.
The boat's displacement was enlarged to four times that of the PG 1-go class to improve seaworthiness. The maximum speed was increased to improve the ability to intercept ships; however, the speed increase proved to be difficult to implement.
Both double-hull and single-hull designs were considered; the single-hull design was selected for reasons of hull strength and seaworthiness. The hull is long and narrow with a V-shaped bottom, allowing for a high hull speed and improved high-speed stability.
Stealth characteristics were incorporated. The slope of the superstructure, designed to minimize direct radar reflection, was chosen using computer simulation of the radar cross section. The tripod mast and Stealthshield 76mm gun also have stealth features.
Three LM500-G07 gas turbine engines, built under license from General Electric by Ishikawajima-Harima, provide the main propulsion.
The main armament is a pair of SSM-1B ship-to-ship missile twin launchers installed in the stern and a Otobreda 76 mm gun on the front deck. Additionally, two 12.7mm M2 machine guns are installed on the back of the bridge.