Japanese patrol vessel Akatsuki

History
Japan
Name	Akatsuki (あかつき)
Builder	Mitsubishi, Nagasaki
Cost	26.2 billion ¥[1]
Laid down	16 February 2018
Launched	10 April 2020
Commissioned	16 February 2021
Homeport	Kagoshima
Identification	IMO number: 9907732 MMSI number: 431015836 Callsign: 7KGN Pennant number: PLH-34
Status	Active
General characteristics
Class and type	Reimei-class patrol vessel
Tonnage	6,500 GT
Displacement	9,300 tons (full load)
Length	150.0 m (492 ft 2 in)
Beam	17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Draft	9.0 m (29 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 × shafts 4 × IHI-SEMT Pielstick 16 PC2.5 V400 diesel engines
Speed	25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range	20,000 nmi (37,000 km; 23,000 mi)
Armament	2 × Bofors 40 mm gun 2 × JM61 20 mm guns
Aircraft carried	2 × EC225LP helicopters

Akatsuki (PLH-34) is a Reimei-class patrol vessel currently operated by the Japanese Coast Guard.

Design[]

Reimei-class patrol vessels have surface-search and navigation radars and a single-mounted Oerlikon 35 mm or 40 mm autocanon. And as a secondary weapon, two JM61 20 mm gun systems were set up. This system adopts the same rotary cannon as the conventional JM61-M, but it is remotely controlled with an optical director as opposed to JM61-M being manually trained and elevated. It derived from one of the PG-821-class guided-missile patrol boats of the JMSDF, and later, added as a standard equipment of the JCG as the JM61-RFS.^[2]

Aviation facilities have also been enhanced. Two Eurocopter AS332 or EC225LP Super Puma helicopters were deployed as the shipboard helicopters, whereas the conventional PLHs are equipped with smaller Bell 212.^[3]

Construction and career[]

Akatsuki was laid down on 16 February 2018 and launched on 10 April 2020 by Mitsubishi, Nagasaki. She was commissioned on 16 February 2021.^[4][5]

References[]