JS Amakusa

"Japanese ship Amakusa" redirects here. For the escort ship built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, see Japanese escort ship Amakusa.

JS Amakusa is a Hiuchi-class Auxiliary Multi-purpose Support (AMS) ship of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).^[1]

Amakusa at Sasebo Naval Base in 2007.
History
Japan
Name	Amakusa (あまくさ)
Builder	Universal, Keihin
Laid down	3 December 2002
Launched	6 August 2003
Commissioned	16 March 2004
Homeport	Sasebo
Identification	MMSI number: 431999677
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Class & type	Hiuchi, Auxiliary Multi-purpose Support (AMS)
Displacement	980 long tons (1,000 t)
Length	65 m (213 ft)
Beam	12.0 m (39.4 ft)
Height	5.8 m (19 ft)
Draft	3.5 m (11 ft)
Propulsion	Diesel
Speed	15 knots

The ship was built by Universal in Keihin and commissioned into service on 16 March 2004.^[2] The primary mission of the Amakusa is to support training exercises of other ships, including shooting practice and torpedo launching practice.^[3]

Service

This ship was one of several in the JMSDF fleet participating in disaster relief after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.^[4] Akakusa was the second of two JMSDF ships which towed barges of fresh water from Yokosuka to the Fukushima I nuclear accidents. The water was used to replace the seawater being used in cooling efforts at the plant.^[5]

On 22 May 2022, the Amakusa conducted surveillance on a PLAN destroyer near Miyako Island. ^[6]