A few comments in recent posts have suggested that the US
Navy buy minesweeper ships from foreign navies/yards. Japan has one of the more extensive fleets of
MCM vessels so let’s take a look at Japan’s minesweepers as a good example of a
possible MCM vessel for the US Navy.
Japan has MCM vessels of various types, size, and
function. We’ll look at the Awaji class
mine countermeasures ship. The Awaji is
classified as a mine sweeper as opposed to the larger mine warfare mother ships
that Japan also operates.
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| Awaji Class Minesweeper |
As a brief summary, the Awaji class has a displacement of
690 tons, a length of 219 ft, a width of 36 ft, and is powered by 2x 2,200 hp diesel
engines. Top speed is 14 kt. Crew size is around 50. The hull is a composite fiber-reinforced
plastic for weight and magnetic signature reduction. Service life is 30 years.[1]
The ship has LIDAR mine detection systems that use reflected
light to detect underwater mines. Note,
however, that this is similar to the ALMDS (Airborne Laser Mine Detection
System) the U.S. Navy attempted to develop for the LCS MCM module and which has
encountered significant problems and limitations in capability.
A variable depth sonar (VDS) system is also used to detect
mines. It also has a Remus 600
autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), known as OZZ-4 to detect deeper mines.
For mine destruction, the ship has the Mitsui expendable
mine disposal system (EMDS) which is fiber optic cable controlled and uses a
camera for detection and identification before blowing up itself and the mine.
Surface mines can also be engaged with a remote control 20 mm weapon station.
Discussion
It is clear that this is not a minesweeper in any sense of
the word but, rather, a one-at-a-time mine hunting/clearance vessel. Of course, this means that the clearance rate
is incredibly slow and is utterly unsuited for dynamic combat operations.
Unfortunately, the one-at-a-time mine clearance approach has
been adopted by all Western navies with only an occasional and minor nod to
actual sweeping operations. Again, this
approach is useless in combat is reflective of the West’s fixation on unmanned
and crippling dependence on technology as the solution to the brutal, hard
aspects of warfare.
We see, once again, that foreign MCM assets offer no value
to the US Navy although they might be of use to Coast Guard ships charged with
harbor defense. This is not to say that
glacially slow mine hunting is not without its uses for countries that are only
concerned with limited territorial waters but for a global US Navy that must be
able to fight anywhere and ensure vast areas are free of mines, mine hunting is
a non-starter.
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https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/03/japan-commissions-fourth-awaji-class-minesweeper/
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