Comparison of the number of 1,000-ton coast guard ships between China and Japan: Japan has 75, how m

In the past decade, in addition to the widening gap in economic size between China and Japan, there has also been a cliff-like imbalance in another aspect, that is, the security forces to maintain maritime security. Before the 2010s, the coast guard ships of the Japan Coast Guard acted recklessly in the Diaoyu Islands and the East China Sea, frequently interfering with, intercepting, and even forcibly detaining Chinese fishing boats.

After 2010, the size of China's maritime law enforcement fleet continued to grow, and China reversed the number of coast guard ships over Japan, and patrols around the Diaoyu Islands became a regular practice. In comparison, how many coast guard ships do China and Japan each have?

Size of Japan Coast Guard Fleet

After the end of World War II, Japan created the Coast Guard, which was affiliated with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as a maritime security force. At that time, in order to prevent Japan from becoming too powerful, the United States set a staffing limit of 10,000 people for the Japan Coast Guard, and the maximum tonnage of the security ship could not exceed 1,500 tons, and the total tonnage could not exceed 50,000 tons. The main tasks were to be responsible for maritime transportation, anti-smuggling, patrolling, and clearing mines.

In the mid-to-late 1970s, with the permission of the United States, the size of the Japan Coast Guard began to expand, from the original near-shore missions to the open seas, and the ships equipped gradually transitioned from the earliest small minesweepers to large fully armed patrol ships. In addition, Japan's economy was booming at the time, and the shipbuilding industry was developed, so the number of coast guard ships continued to hit new highs.

Around 2010, the Japan Coast Guard had more than 450 ships, of which more than 50 were over 1,000 tons and 150 were over 500 tons. Together with more than 70 aircraft, this strength was stronger than the navies of most Southeast Asian countries, making it Japan's "second navy."

By 2022, the number of patrol ships of the Japan Coast Guard has only increased slightly to 71. In 2023, Japan commissioned four new coast guard ships of more than 1,000 tons, namely "Wakasa", "Osumi", "Asanagi" and "Yumibari". The "Yumibari" has the largest tonnage, which is the third ship of the Harumitsu class with a full load displacement of more than 8,700 tons, and the Asanagi has a full load displacement of up to 6,742 tons. In total, Japan has 75 coast guard ships of 1,000 tons in service.

Recently, the 6,000-ton patrol ship "Kanmei" is in the sea trial state and will soon be put into service. In addition, the Japanese National Security Agency also plans to build the world's largest patrol ship in 2025, with a design length of about 200 meters and a width of about 27 meters. The total cost is expected to be US$475 million. Its displacement is 30,000 tons, which is twice the 16,000-ton "Healy" icebreaker currently in service with the US Coast Guard. The ship is scheduled to be put into service in fiscal 2029.

Combined with the increase in the number of patrol ships that has been announced in the past, according to the plan of the Japan Coast Guard, the number of large Japanese naval ships will reach 90 by the end of 2027.

my country's Coast Guard Ships Rank First in the World

Before the 1990s, my country did not have a professional maritime law enforcement force. After that, four agencies, namely, marine surveillance, fishery administration, maritime affairs, and coast guard, were gradually formed. In 2013, the State Oceanic Administration was reorganized, and the Coast Guard was established under the State Oceanic Administration, becoming a paramilitary law enforcement force.

Around 2000, my country's maritime law enforcement vessels were few in number and small in tonnage, with slightly larger coast guard ships weighing only about 500 tons. It was not until 2011 that a small number of 1,000-3,000-ton law enforcement ships were equipped. By 2013, Japan still had a certain advantage in the number of coast guard ships. Starting in 2014, the situation reversed, and my country's number of 1,000-ton coast guard ships surpassed Japan for the first time. By 2015, Japan had 62 ships, while China had 111 ships.

As of now, my country's coast guard has a total of about 500 ships of various sizes, with a total tonnage of nearly 300,000 tons, ranking first in the world. Among them, there are more than 160 coast guard ships of more than 1,000 tons. Among them, there are nearly 4,000-ton 818-type coast guard ships, which are the coast guard version of the 054A frigate. Its firepower configuration is exactly the same as that of the 10,000-ton coast guard ship and can carry a helicopter.

my country's coast guard force is also equipped with two 12,000-ton coast guard ships, which are also the world's largest coast guard ships in terms of displacement. They are basically equivalent to the tonnage of the 055 million-ton destroyer currently in service. They use four high-power diesel engines and have a speed of 25 knots, which is close to the speed of main frigates at home and abroad.

Compared with Japan, Japan has 16 coast guard ships of 6,000 tons or above. my country has only two 12,000-ton coast guard ships, and there is no 5,000-10,000-ton coast guard ship. At present, China still relies more on 3,000-ton coast guard ships, which are not advantageous in tonnage and endurance in some specific scenarios. Large ships like 6,000-ton ships are needed to make up for the shortcomings, which is also an inevitable move for my country to enhance its comprehensive national strength and marine security.