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10h ago

Australia and Japan Sign A$10 Billion Deal for First Three Upgraded Mogami Frigates

Japan will build the initial ships before Australia moves construction to Perth to grow its naval industry.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP, with the Minister of Defense of Japan Koizumi Shinjiro, signing the statement of intent, in Melbourne, Australia (official caption).
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Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles shakes hands with Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the start of their talks at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo, Japan, April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
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Overview

  • Australia and Japan signed contracts Saturday in Melbourne to start an A$10 billion program that supplies the Royal Australian Navy with three Japanese-built Upgraded Mogami frigates, alongside a “Mogami Memorandum” to guide cooperation.
  • The first ship is slated to arrive in 2029, with Australian officials citing December for delivery and calling the timeline the navy’s fastest peacetime acquisition.
  • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build the first three ships in Japan, then production is planned to shift to the Henderson precinct near Perth once that site is consolidated and industry arrangements are in place.
  • Each frigate features a 32‑cell vertical launch system for air defenses, long-range operations of up to 10,000 nautical miles, a crew of about 92, and the ability to operate MH‑60R Seahawk helicopters.
  • Officials cast the deal as a deeper Australia–Japan security partnership enabled by Tokyo’s easing of defense export rules, with Canberra also planning up to A$20 billion over a decade to stand up the general‑purpose frigate fleet and local sustainment.