Japan Marine United Lifts Veil on New Fast Landing Craft
Japan Marine United (JMU), one of Japan’s leading shipbuilding companies, unveiled a new transport vessel at the ADAS 2024 defense equipment exhibition held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, from September 25 to 27.
Named the “Caimen-Japan Fast Landing Craft,” this vessel is jointly developed by the UK-based ship design company BMT and JMU, with JMU handling the construction. It measures approximately 30 meters in length and 8 meters in width, capable of transporting two heavy-weight vehicles. The vessel boasts a speed of over 20 knots. According to the performance specifications released by BMT for the Caimen series, the craft can achieve speeds of over 20 knots while carrying a main battle tank and over 30 knots when unloaded, suggesting that the Caimen-Japan model likely possesses similar capabilities.
The vessel features a distinctive hull design. While the bow section is a trimaran configuration, the rear of the vessel transitions to a conventional monohull. This “tri-bow monohull” design ensures stability during open-ocean navigation, easy maneuverability during beach landings, and the ability to cut through waves for stable, high-speed travel.
In an interview with Naval News, JMU stated that they plan to mass-produce the vessel at their shipyards in Japan, aiming for exports to countries across Southeast Asia and beyond. In particular, the Philippines, which faces ongoing tensions with China in the South China Sea, appears to have a significant demand for troop deployment and logistics transport to its island territories. Furthermore, Japan has already supplied early warning radar systems and patrol vessels to the Philippines, indicating a potential market for JMU in this region.
Additionally, the Caimen-Japan Fast Landing Craft may also be relevant to Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). The Japan’s Defense Buildup Program, published in December 2022, specifies the introduction of “maneuverable boats (機動舟艇)” in the JSDF. The purpose of the maneuverable boats is to transport Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) troops to be able to defend the numerous islands (Southwest Islands) that Japan holds in view of the current growing military threat from China in the East China Sea and the situation in Taiwan.
And, JMU won a contract in 2023 related to the study of this maneuverable boats. It is possible that JMU is proposing a vessel similar to the Caimen-Japan Fast Landing Craft for the JGSDF’s “maneuverable boats (機動舟艇)” requirement.
