In a major breakthrough for Japan’s defense industry, Tokyo on Saturday reached a landmark agreement with Canberra to supply the first three of a planned 11 upgraded Mogami-class frigates to the Australian Navy, the largest defense export contract in Japan’s postwar history.
Signed in Melbourne by Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, the multibillion dollar deal underscores the deepening strategic alignment between the quasi-allies and heralds significantly expanded military and industrial cooperation.
Australia aims to acquire 11 general-purpose frigates optimized for undersea warfare to replace its aging Anzac-class fleet. To accelerate delivery, the first three vessels will be built in Japan, while production of the remaining ships will shift to the Henderson shipyard in Perth, Western Australia, where they will be constructed by Australian firm Austal.
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