Towada-class replenishment ship

The Towada class is a series of replenishment oilers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Three ships of the class were built between 1985 and 1989. The ships have the hull designator AOE.^[1]

The US Navy destroyer USS McCampbell, right, conducts a replenishment at sea with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force fast-combat support ship JDS Hamana in 2012
Class overview
Builders	Hitachi Shipbuilding Corporation, Maizuru Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Tokyo
Operators	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Preceded by	Sagami class
Succeeded by	Mashū class
Planned	3
Completed	3
Active	3
General characteristics
Type	Fast combat support ship
Displacement	8,100 tonnes standard 12,100 tonnes full load
Length	167 m (548 ft)
Beam	22.0 m (72.2 ft)
Draught	15.9 m (52 ft)
Propulsion	2 × Mitsui 16V42M-A diesel engines 26,000 shp (19,388 kW) each 2 × shafts
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range	10,500 nmi (19,446 km; 12,083 mi) at 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Complement	140
Aviation facilities	Helicopter deck only, may carry helicopters up to the size of MH-53E

The Towada class was designed as an enlarged, improved version of the Sagami-class fast combat support ships. The vessels are capable of mounting the Phalanx CIWS by design, although this is not a common occurrence.^[2]

List of ships

Name	Number	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Homeport	Status
Towada (とわだ)	AOE-422	17 April 1985	25 March 1986	24 March 1987		Kure	Active
Tokiwa (ときわ)	AOE-423	12 May 1988	23 March 1989	12 March 1990		Yokosuka	Active
Hamana (はまな)	AOE-424	8 July 1988	18 May 1989	29 March 1990		Sasebo	Active

References

1. Wertheim, Eric (2013). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 16th Edition. Naval Institute Press. p. 377. ISBN 978-1591149545.
2. "AOE Towada Class". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 26 January 2016.

External links

• GlobalSecurity.org entry
• GlobalSecurity.org Towada specifications