JS Kunisaki

JS Kunisaki (LST-4003) is the third ship of the Ōsumi-class tank landing ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

JS Kunisaki
History
Japan
Name
  • Kunisaki
  • (くにさき)
NamesakeKunisaki Peninsula
Ordered1999
BuilderHitachi, Maizuru
Laid down7 September 2000
Launched13 December 2001
Commissioned26 February 2003
HomeportKure
Identification
StatusActive
General characteristics
Class and typeŌsumi-class tank landing ship
Displacement
  • 8,900 t (8,800 long tons) standard
  • 13,000 t (13,000 long tons) full load
Length178 m (584 ft 0 in)
Beam25.8 m (84 ft 8 in)
Draught17.0 m (55 ft 9 in)
Propulsion
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried		2 × Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)
Capacityup to 10 main battle tanks
Troops330 personnel
Complement137
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys		4 × Mark 36 SRBOC
Armament
Aircraft carriedUp to 8 helicopters tied topside
Aviation facilitiesHangar and helipad

Construction and career

Kunisaki was laid down on 7 September 2000 and launched on 13 December 2001 by Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Maizuru. She was commissioned into the 1st Landing Group on 26 February 2003.[1]

This ship was one of several in the JMSDF fleet that participated in disaster relief after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[2] Kunisaki was the first-ever JMSDF ship to serve as the primary mission platform for the 2014 Pacific Partnership annual humanitarian and disaster response-focused mission.[3] On 29 May 2014, she departed Yokosuka to participate in the 2014 Pacific Partnership. She provided Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines with medical aid and carried out cultural exchanges. On 24 July the ship returned to Kure.[4]

The vessel participated in the integrated training Dawn Blitz 15 in the United States from 18 August to 9 September 2015 with JS Hyūga and JS Ashigara under the command of the Mine Warfare Force, and amphibious warfare training.[5] From 3 to 9 September Kunisaki participated in the ADMM Plus Humanitarian Aid / Disaster Relief and Defense Medical College Exercise (AM-HEx2016) in Thailand from September 3 to 9 of the same year.[6]

Beginning on 5 May 2017, Kunisaki performed joint training with the French Navy's Mistral in the waters around Japan.[7]

On 11 and 12 January 2019, the ship conducted a joint cruise training with several ships including USS Wasp and USS Green Bay in the waters west of Kyushu.[8] From 3 June to 21 August, the ship was under the command of the Mine Warfare Force commander during training with the U.S. military (Talisman Saber 19) at the Shoalwater Bay Exercise Area in Queensland, Australia and the surrounding waters.[9] On 18 June, while participating in the training, she was towed by a tugboat and tried to turn around to leave Brisbane, Australia, but she collided with the quay of the port. The stern door broke, and the quay also broke.[10]

Citations
  1. GlobalSecurity.org, LST Osumi Class, shiplist
  2. "Warships Supporting Earthquake in Japan". Seawaves. Archived from the original on 2011-03-23.
  3. "JS Kunisaki Departs Japan for Pacific Partnership 2014". Archived from the original on 2014-06-11. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  4. "防衛省・自衛隊：パシフィック・パートナーシップ２０１４への参加について". archive.is. 2014-09-27. Archived from the original on 2014-09-27. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2021-05-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. INC, SANKEI DIGITAL. "仏強襲揚陸艦が佐世保入港 初の日仏米英共同訓練へ". 産経フォト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  8. "日米共同巡航訓練の実施について" (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  9. "豪州における米軍との実動訓練（タリスマン・セイバー１９）の実施について" (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. "海自の輸送艦「くにさき」 豪州の港に"衝突" - FNN.jpプライムオンライン". 2019-06-20. Archived from the original on 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2021-05-25.

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