Contents

Shiretoko-class patrol vessel

Shiretoko (PL-101)
Class overview
Name	Shiretoko class
Operators	Japan Coast Guard (former Maritime Safety Agency)
Preceded by	Daiou class
Succeeded by	Nojima
Built	1978–1982
In commission	1978–2016
Completed	28
Active	0
Retired	28
General characteristics
Type	1,000 ton-class PL (Patrol vessel, Large)
Tonnage	980 GT[1]
Displacement	normal: 1,200 tons[1] full load: 1,360 tons[2]
Length	78.0 m (255 ft 11 in)[1]
Beam	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)[1]
Draught	3.42 m (11 ft 3 in)[1]
Depth	5.30 m (17 ft 5 in)[1]
Propulsion	2 × shafts CP props[1] 2 × diesel engines[1] (7,000 ps/5,148kW)
Speed	20.0 knots (37.0 km/h; 23.0 mph)[1]
Range	4,400 nmi (8,100 km; 5,100 mi)[1]
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × 7 m class RHIBs 2 × 4.8 m class RHIB
Complement	41[1]
Sensors and processing systems	JMA-1576 surface search radar[2] JMA-1596 navigation radar[2]
Armament	originally as designed on early ships Bofors 40mm L/60 gun Oerlikon 20mm cannon later ships Oerlikon KDC 35mm gun early ships (modernization/replacement guns) JM61-M 20mm gun

The Shiretoko-class patrol vessel (Japanese: しれとこ型巡視船) is a class of PL type patrol vessels of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG; former Maritime Safety Agency, MSA). 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, 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 an urgent issue. In consequence of these situations, the MSA had put some series of patrol vessels into commission from late 1970s to early 1980s.^[3] This class was one of these series, planned to form the main fleet in the high-endurance mission.^[4]

This class was designed as the enlarged and mass-production variant of the Daiou class, preceding large patrol vessels. Like the Daiou-class, the hull is ice resistant, but the hull structure has been further strengthened by increasing the thickness of the ice belt and the number of ribs.^[4]

As designed, it was to be equipped with one Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun and one Oerlikon 20 mm cannon;^[1] latter-batch vessels had their weapon changed to the newer Oerlikon KDC 35 mm gun, and the obsolete 20mm machine gun was dropped. And later, ships of the early-batch had their weapon converted to the JM61-M 20 mm gun.^[5]

• Saunders, Stephen (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0710628886.
• Japan Coast Guard Foundation [in Japanese] (1990). 海上保安庁船艇航空機整備の歩み [History of vessels and aircraft of Maritime Safety Agency] (in Japanese). Japan Coast Guard Foundation. NCID BA33890789.
• Nakanomyo, Masami (November 2015). "History of shipboard guns on JCG's patrol vessels". Ships of the World (in Japanese) (825). Kaijin-sha: 168–173. NAID 40020597434.

• List of Japan Coast Guard vessels and aircraft

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shiretoko class patrol vessels.