The design of this class is generally a modified version of, a preceding 1,000-ton class PL being emphasis on air-sea rescue operations.
In contrast to the Nojima, which had a helicopter deck one level higher than the strength deck, this class utilizes the end of the strength deck as the helicopter deck, and has a reinforced structure to land a large Super Puma helicopter. In addition, a well dock was installed below the helicopter deck to accommodate a high speed launch, but it was not efficient as planned and discontinued after the second ship.
The chimney was split into two and placed on both sides of the ship. Between these funnels, a hangar for the ROV and a preparation room for diving operations were set up. With these capabilities to support divers, all ships of this class are officially certified as .
| Hull no. | Ship name | Builder | Commission | Decommission | Fate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PL-02 | Erimo (former Ojika) | Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding | 31 October 1991 | 24 January 2017 | Transferred to Malaysian Coast Guard as KM Pekan[1] [2] | |
| PL-03 | Kudaka | Hakodate Dock | 25 October 1994 | |||
| PL-04 | Yahiko (former Satsuma) | Sumitomo Heavy Industries | 26 October 1995 | |||
| PL-05 | Dejima (former Hakata) | Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries | 26 November 1998 | |||
| PL-06 | Kurikoma (former Dejima) | Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding | 29 October 1999 | |||
| PL-07 | Satsuma | Kawasaki Heavy Industries | ||||
| PL-08 | Tosa (former Motobu) | 31 October 2000 |