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.

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.

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

External links

• GlobalSecurity.org entry
• GlobalSecurity.org Towada specifications