JS Nōmi

This article is about the minesweeper of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. For the escort ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, see Japanese escort ship Nōmi.

Nōmi (のうみ) is a minesweeper of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), and the fourth ship of the Awaji class.^[1] She is named after Nomi Island of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the second ship to be named in this manner, after the Imperial Japanese Navy's Mikura-class escort ship Nōmi,^[2] as well as the first in the JMSDF era.^[3]

Nōmi after being launched
History
Japan
Name	Nōmi
Namesake	Nōmi Island
Builder	Japan Marine United, Yokohama[1]
Cost	12.6 Billion yen[1]
Laid down	19 May 2021[1]
Launched	24 October 2023[1]
Commissioned	12 March 2025[1]
Identification	Pennant number: MSO-307[1]
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Awaji-class minesweeper
Displacement	690 t (680 long tons) standard[1]
Length	67 m (219 ft 10 in)[1]
Beam	11 m (36 ft 1 in)[1]
Draft	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Depth	5.2 m (17 ft 1 in)[1]
Propulsion	2 × diesel electric engines[1] 2 × shafts
Speed	14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)[1]
Crew	around 50[1]
Sensors & processing systems	OPS-39H surface-search radar OQQ-10-1 sonar ZQS-4 sonar OZZ-4 UUV[1]
Armament	1 × single JM61R-MS 20mm guns

Design and description

As with the other Awaji-class minesweepers, Nōmi's hull was built using fibre-reinforced plastic, which has better resistance against corrosion and allowed a longer lifespan of 10 more years, compared to the 20-year design life of the wooden-hulled predecessors. The LIDAR system Nōmi is equipped with allowed detection of underwater objects at long ranges. To aid in mine detection, the ship has an expendable mine disposal and variable depth sonar systems supplied by Mitsui and Hitachi respectively.^[1][4]

Construction and career

Nōmi was laid down on 19 May 2021 at the JMU Yokohama Works Tsurumi Plant^[1] as the 307th minesweeper planned for fiscal year 2020, and she was named and launched on 24 October 2023.^[5][1] She was commissioned on 12 March 2025, after a period of being fitted out and undergoing sea trials.^[4]

On completion, Nōmi was assigned to the 3rd Minesweeping Squadron of the Kure Naval District, allowing Miyajima [ja] to be transferred to the 42nd Minesweeping Squadron, in turn forcing Naoshima [ja] into retirement.^[4]

See also

• List of active Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships