Shiretoko-class patrol vessel


The Shiretoko-class patrol vessel is a class of PL type patrol vessels of the Japan Coast Guard. PL stands for "Patrol vessel Large", and the class name "Shiretoko" is named after Shiretoko, the northeastern area of the island of Hokkaidō, Japan
In 1977, :ja:領海及び接続水域に関する法律|Act on Territorial Waters and Contiguous Water Area and the Act on Temporary Measures Concerning Fishery Waters was confirmed by the National Diet of Japan to adapt for the UNCLOS III. As a direct result of these acts, the coverage area of the MSA was dramatically extended, so the update of their equipment became a thing of the urgent. In consequence of these situations, the MSA had put some series of patrol vessels into commission from late 1970s to early 1980s.
This class was one of these series, planned to form the main fleet in the high-endurance mission. This class was designed as the enlarged and mass-production variant of the :ja:だいおう型巡視船 |Daiou class, preceding large patrol vessels. Early-batch ships of this class were equipped with one Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun like the Daiou class, but latter-batch vessels had their weapon changed to the newer Oerlikon KDC 35 mm gun. And later, ships of the early-batch had their weapon converted to the JM61-M 20 mm gun.

Ships in the class

Future reading