Japan to Supply 11 Frigates to Australia in its Biggest Ever Arms Export Deal

Japan on Saturday signed an agreement with Australia to supply the first three of a planned fleet of 11 upgraded Mogami-class frigates to the Australian Navy, marking the largest defense export contract in Japan’s history.

Signed in Melbourne by Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, the  deal whose value was not specified, but estimated at $10-$15 billion.

Australia aims to acquire 11 general-purpose frigates optimized for undersea warfare to replace its aging Anzac-class fleet.

The first three vessels will be built in Japan, while the remaining 8 of 11 will be manufactured at the Henderson shipyard in Perth, where they are expected to be constructed by Australian firm Austal, Japanese and Australian media reported.

“We will see the first of these frigates come to Australia in 2029 and in the early 2030s the general-purpose frigate, the Mogami class, will be the backbone of continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia,” Marles said in a ceremony aboard the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Mogami-class frigate Kumano, which was in Australia to take part in the Kakadu multilateral maritime exercise.

Koizumi also signed a “Mogami Memorandum” with Marles reaffirming both governments’ commitment to the program’s successful delivery and deeper defense-industrial cooperation.

The first warship is scheduled for delivery in December 2029 and is set to enter service in 2030, with the third set to become operational by 2034.

Marles said Canberra is working with both Japanese industry and the MSDF to develop an initial capability to sustain and operate the upgraded Mogami frigates in Australia, supported by Australian industry and workers.

Australia selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries last August as the preferred partner for its Project Sea 3000. Officials in Canberra described Japan’s proposal as “the clear winner” over Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in terms of cost, capability and its ability to meet delivery timeline.