Japan's Future Multi-Mission Frigates (30FFM) continues to take shape. Construction of the first two frigates is being carried out at the shipyards of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Mitsui E&S as part of a frigate project launched by the Japanese Ministry of Defence in 2018.

New images obtained by Xavier Vavasseur and Yoshihiro Inaba showed the deployment of its mast integrated into the platforms. A total of 22 frigates will be built in line with the needs of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF).

Before COVID-19, the de-watering of the platforms in November 2020 was on the agenda, but said that changes could be made to the date set after the pandemic.

The 30FFM frigate is 132.5 meters long and 16.3 meters wide. The frigate, which is expected to have a displacement of about 5,500 tons, is thought to reach a maximum speed of over 30 knots.

The first frigate to the JMSDF is expected to be delivered in March 2022.