JS Yahagi

For other ships with the same name, see Japanese ship Yahagi.

Yahagi (やはぎ) is a frigate of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the fifth ship of the Mogami class. Her namesake comes from the Yahagi River, which flows through Nagano, Gifu, and Aichi prefectures,^[1] a name that was chosen by Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi after a competition within the Maritime Self-Defense Forces.^[1]

History
Japan
Name	Yahagi
Namesake	Yahagi River
Builder	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki
Laid down	24 June 2021
Launched	23 June 2022
Commissioned	21 May 2024
Homeport	Maizuru
Identification	Pennant number: FFM-5
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class & type	Mogami-class frigate
Displacement	3,900 tons standard 5,500 tons full load
Length	133 m (436 ft 4 in)
Beam	16.3 m (53 ft 6 in)
Draft	9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	CODAG 1 × Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine 2 × MAN Diesel V28/33DD STC engine
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × RHIB, UUV, USV
Crew	90
Sensors & processing systems	OPY-2 (X-band multi-purpose AESA radar) OAX-3(EO/IR) OQQ-25 (VDS + TASS) OQQ-11 (Mine-hunting sonar) OYQ-1 (Combat management system) OYX-1-29 (Console display system)
Electronic warfare & decoys	NOLQ-3E (Passive radar system + Electronic attack capability is integrated into the main radar antenna), Chaff dispenser
Armament	1 × 5 in (127 mm) Mk-45 Mod 4 naval gun 2 × missile canisters for a total of 8 Type 17 anti-ship missiles 1 × SeaRAM Type 12 torpedoes Simplified mine laying equipment 2 × Mk-41 VLS (16 cells total) Naval version of Type 03 Chū-SAM 2 × Remote weapon station
Aircraft carried	1 × SH-60L helicopter

She is the third Japanese warship to bear this name, following the former Imperial Japanese Navy's Chikuma-class cruiser Yahagi of 1911, and the Agano-class cruiser Yahagi of 1942, though the kanji characters are different, as the former Imperial Japanese Navy's Yahagi was named after the old name of the Yahagi River.

History

Yahagi was ordered in the fiscal year 2020, based on the Mid-Term Defense Program, with her keel being laid down at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki Shipyard on 24 June 2021,^[2] and was launched on 23 June 2022.^[1] After undergoing fitting out and sea trials, the ship was commissioned on 21 May 2024,^[3][a] assigned to the Escort Fleet 14th Escort Division of Maizuru.^{[5][better source needed]}

The Mogami-class frigates were designed to be multi-functional in various roles, to address the growing peacetime surveillance and monitoring activities around Japan, including anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, surface, and mine warfare.^[1]

Yahagi made a port call at Darwin on 5 June 2025 for comparison against the German MEKO A-200 design as part of the Australian general purpose frigate program.^[6]

Gallery

• 
  Launch ceremony of Yahagi
• 
  Yahagi being fitted out at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki Shipyard
• 
  Yahagi leaving Nagasaki Shipyard upon being commissioned
• 
  Yahagi with the Maizuru Crane Bridge in the background

Notes

1. The delivery was originally scheduled for December 2023, but was postponed due to delays in the delivery of government-supplied goods.^[4]