Japan maintains small, medium, and large escorts instead of forcing one design to cover every mission. The Asagiri and Abukuma classes illustrate how that mix controls cost while keeping each hull focused. Abukuma destroyer escorts are being replaced by Mogami frigates, continuing the smaller ships' escort role under a different classification. Smaller ships can conduct coastal patrol and anti-submarine work without carrying the full expense of a universal combatant. In wartime, they add hulls, redundancy, and complementary capability to larger task groups.
Chapter · 2:37-5:10
Asagiri and Abukuma show how smaller escorts build fleet mass
The Asagiri and Abukuma classes show how Japan keeps different escort sizes in service after the Cold War.