TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Following an incursion by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) into Japan’s territorial waters, the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) announced plans to build its largest-ever patrol vessel to bolster defenses in the region. 

The plans call for an “offshore base” capable of acting as a mobile command center, and a resource for evacuating people on remote islands in the event of a Taiwan contingency, reported the Yomiuri Shimbun. The vessel would be capable of carrying dozens of smaller speed-boats, and three helicopters, per NHK.  

Conceptual plans for the vessel were submitted in March, and depict a vessel of over 200 meters in length with a gross tonnage of 6,500. Such a large vessel would be nearly four times larger than any patrol ship in the JCG’s current fleet.

Japanese security analysts predicted that if the CCG attempts to seize the Diaoyutai Islands, they will use small boats to make multiple landings in a short amount of time. The planned vehicle with multiple speedboats in its arsenal will be well-suited to respond to such a scenario, reported Yomiuri.  

On Friday (June 7), four CCG ships armed with cannons approached the Diaoyutai Islands, also called the Senkaku Islands, sparking alarm in Japan, which controls the contested territory. 

CCG ships have been spotted near the disputed islands every day since December 22, 2023. Friday’s incursion marked the 17th time this year that CCG vessels trespassed into Japanese waters surrounding the Diaoyutai Islands, reported NHK. 

JCG officials said that the CCG ships’ appearance and armaments represent an escalation in aggressive behavior by Chinese forces around the islands. In response to the incursions, the Japanese government warned China not to enter the waters again. 

The new JCG ship under consideration would likely require funding throughout 2025 from Japan’s national defense budget, and the soonest it could be in service would be 2029. A second vessel of the same design may also be optioned, per reports.