Japan Wants to Build the World's Largest Coast Guard Cutter

The Japan Coast Guard wants to build the largest cutter in the world, a 30,000-tonne behemoth that would dwarf the China Coast Guard's monolithic CCG 5901, the current titleholder. 

The Japan Coast Guard will include a $24 million line item in its next budget for the start of construction of a 200-meter mega-cutter. The vessel is intended to take on a much larger mission set than the typical coastal patrol ship, and would have many of the capabilities of a small-deck amphib.

The giant "maritime base" cutter would have room to accommodate up to 1,000 people in the wake of a natural disaster, deck space for three helicopters for emergency response operations, and arrangements for launching and recovering small craft. In the event of a mega-quake or a national defense situation, it would have substantial capacity to intervene. It would also be large enough to dominate confrontations with the China Coast Guard and with illegal fishing operators, but the Japan Coast Guard says that the vessel will not carry a deck cannon and will not be used in the Senkaku Islands, the area where the agency most frequently encounters Chinese forces. 

The total cost of construction is projected to come to about $470 million, and work would begin as early as next year if funded. Delivery is scheduled for 2029.

If built, the Japan Coast Guard would have the largest cutter in the world by a wide margin, dwarfing the U.S. Coast Guard's Legend-class National Security Cutter, the Japan Coast Guard's Shikishima-class cutter and the China Coast Guard's Zhaotou-class series (known abroad as the "monster" cutters). However, if the new giant vessel lacks autocannons, it may not technically qualify for the list of "armed" cutters.