JDS Sōya

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Name
  • Sōya
  • (そうや)
NamesakeSōya
Ordered1969
JDS Sōya
History
Japan
Name
  • Sōya
  • (そうや)
NamesakeSōya
Ordered1969
BuilderHitachi, Maizuru
Laid down9 July 1970
Launched31 March 1971
Commissioned30 September 1971
Decommissioned24 March 1999
HomeportYokosuka
IdentificationPennant number: MCC-951
FateUnknown
Class overview
Preceded byErimo class
Succeeded byN/A
General characteristics
TypeMinelayer
Displacement
  • 2,150 t (2,120 long tons) standard
  • 3,300 t (3,200 long tons) full load
Length99.0 m (324 ft 10 in)
Beam15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Draft4.23 m (13 ft 11 in)
Depth8.4 m (27 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
Speed18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement180
Sensors &
processing systems
Armament
Aviation facilitiesHelipad

JDS Sōya (MMC-951) was an minelayer of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in the early 1970s.[1]

She is the first minelaying ship of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, and in addition to the minelaying mission, she also serve as a flagship for the Mine Warfare Force.[1]

When designing, she has a commercial ship structure based on the commercial ship rules in consideration of economic efficiency like JDS Hayase, but in consideration of combat behavior and danger at the time of lightning, she has defensive weapons. It has anti-shock measures similar to those of an escort ship.

Due to the laying of mines, the second deck of the ship is considered to be a mine storage for all mines, and the number of mines loaded is 266 for 3000-pound class mines.[2] Due to the larger mine storage, the ship type became a poop deck. There are 6 minelaying rails on the middle deck and 2nd on the upper deck. The rails on the upper deck slope downward along the rear side, and the drop position is the same height as the rails on the middle deck.[3]

The Sōya mine laying device is a state-of-the-art automatic mine laying device that was unprecedented in the world at that time. The mines that were dropped and laid are automatically displayed on the mine battle command room and the electric display board of the CIC so that the laying status can be known.[3]

The bridge structure has a command room, a command office, a staff office, and a general affairs office of the headquarters as equipment as a flagship of the Mine Warfare Force. In addition, the CIC is arranged with an internal partition for individual ships and for the command center.[3]

The rear deck is equipped with a helicopter deck to accommodate the arrival and departure of the V-107. As a helicopter support facility, an aerial refueling device, a power source for starting, a fire extinguishing device, a motor cleaning device, and a tank for aviation fuel (JP-5) are provided.[3]

In addition, she has a supply facility to support minesweepers, and a break-action 5-ton crane for relocation is installed just before the helicopter deck.[3] She is also equipped with equipment for underwater disposal teams and a recompression tank.[1]

As gun weapons, the front deck is equipped with a 68-type 50 caliber 3-inch twin rapid-fire gun, and the Mk.10 20mm single-armed gun is installed on both sides of the rear end of the deck chamber. In addition, as anti-submarine weapons, the SQS-11A search sonar and the 68-type triple torpedo launcher are equipped on both sides of the central deck.

Construction and career

Citations

References

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