Japanese patrol vessel Mizuho (PLH-41)
# Japanese patrol vessel Mizuho (PLH-41)

The Japanese patrol boat Mizuho is a PLH type patrol vessels of the Japan Coast Guard. She is only ship in her class: the construction of a second ship was planned originally, but has not been achieved as of 2020 due to the start of construction of the Shunkō class and Reimei class.

## Design

Essentially, this ship is designed to be an enlarged version of the Kunigami class, with a helicopter deck and hangar as a successor to Mizuho (PLH-21). As well as being a platform for helicopters, she also functions as a depot ship: replenishing fuel, potable water and stores to small patrol crafts and resting their crew. And as a frontline command center, she also has excellent command and control functions.

She is armed with one Bofors L/70 40 mm gun (Bofors 40 Mk4) and one JM61-RFS 20 mm gun, each controlled by an electro-optical director. The Sikorsky S-76D helicopters was supposed to be used as the shipboard helicopters, but in actual, the Bell 412 helicopters were transferred directly from the PLH-21.

