They didn't hit the bull's-eye
There two main mine countermeasure exercises held in Japan every year. The first one is held in waters off Yokkaichi (near Nagoya) in the spring and this photo comes from the second one, on the waters of Mutsu Bay in the northern region of Honshu. They always look pretty impressive with lots of warships in one place at the same time.
The JMSDF has one of the msot active and best trained and equipped counter mine fleets in the world.There two main mine countermeasure exercises held in Japan every year. The first one is held in waters off Yokkaichi (near Nagoya) in the spring and this photo comes from the second one, on the waters of Mutsu Bay in the northern region of Honshu. They always look pretty impressive with lots of warships in one place at the same time.
Overall, the JMSDF’s minesweeping fleet consists of 21 ships, and has gained international renown for its expertise in “sea clearance”.
Japan deployed five minesweepers to the Persian Gulf in 1991 to remove 1,200 sea mines laid by the Iraqi military in the waters off Kuwait.
During the opening stages of the Korean War (1950 to 1951), Japanese minesweepers helped clear landing areas from mines for American troops and also were engaged in operations further away from the shores of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan.
As stated, the exercise regularly, both alone and with the US.
Their new Uraga class of flotilla leader, Countermine support ships are 5,5000 ton vessels, and they are very effective leaders of counter mine flotillas. They have two of them:
My eyes are deceiving me or it realy LOOKS like 32 VLS cells (instead of 16 - a number mentioned a lot earlier) had been installed aboard new JS Asahi? Watch closely in HD from 3:45 mark on below video. It comes from the first (???) trial run of the vessel which should be delivered to JMSDF in March next year.
My old Home, Sweet Home! loved the beach at OKUMA, beautiful place!
SamuraiBlue
Captain
They are not armed.
Pretty surprised that they installed the VLS cells already though.
Pretty surprised that they installed the VLS cells already though.
32 but only 16 with missiles in peace time/installed seems as had been said by Samurai and confirmed here
So
16 cell's armed : 12 Asroc VL and 16 ESSM as Hyuga
or 32 : 16 and 64 as Akizuki
Japaness combattants have in general much cell's for ASW missiles the max for Atago 32 on 96 ! according Flottes de Combat or reliable sources ofc missiles load can change...
On the other hand even big DDG embark " only" a SH-60K or J the K is bettter armed also with small anti-ships missiles, used by the more modern classes, 91 ( 49 + 42 ) with 75 P-1/3C a robust ASW force !
And even if only 16 cell's host missiles in general with yet 4 Mk-41 installed they can get fast the war load, Europeans and i do face palm have provisions for majority of recent classes : Horizon/Type 45 : 16 cell's, De Seven Provincien : 8 etc... but we can wait for see it instaled ! ofc in relation with this part of the Asia which is since several years about 10 the main naval theater...
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Yes, but the wiki article that you quoted cites an article from 8/2013 so it could be outdated. Even Japanese wiki quotes the same source with
In a part of the magazines there was a description of 16 VLS cells installed in front of the forward superstructure to cut the costs (the link to the source I mentioned) but it became 32 (later on). How many missiles they will be loading (a mixture of ESSM and Type 07 SUMs) there in normal conditions doesn't matter as long as there's place to easily fill all of them. In the form that you mentioned (from 2013) it would have a place ready for additional 16 cells ready but not installed at all (those could be put there later on). And I think that with this material 32 cells are offcial contrary to what was proposed before the construction started.