Mogami adds wartime escort mass and deeper VLS magazines

Although commonly described as frigates, the Mogamis retain Japan's broad gokan or escort designation and succeed the smaller destroyer escorts. At the time of recording, nine had been built, three were under construction, and twelve improved ships were planned for Japanese service. They sit outside the peacetime core of five general-purpose destroyers, two guided-missile destroyers, and one aviation ship. In wartime, available Mogamis can join those groups to add hulls, helicopters, ASW capability, and lethality. The improved batch's growth to thirty-two Mark 41 VLS cells gives a smaller escort magazine depth comparable in cell count to Asahi. Production volume and increasing capability make Mogami the principal source of additional fleet mass.