NIPPON



 

The Japanese government plans to have the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC, own and operate the successor to the Antarctic research vessel Shirase, officials said Thursday.

The current vessel, slated to retire in 2034, is operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Force. The aim of the shift is to ease strain on the MSDF as its overall tasks rise while personnel shortfalls persist.

MSDF personnel will continue to support ice navigation and transport on ice to Japan's Showa Station in Antarctica.

JAMSTEC, overseen by the education ministry, long operated the research vessel Mirai in missions in the Arctic Ocean before its retirement last December.

The agency plans to deploy a new Mirai II, capable of breaking ice, to bolster observation capabilities. Taking on the Shirase's successor would extend JAMSTEC's operational area to Antarctic waters.