Australia and Japan have signed contracts to deliver the first three of a new slate of Australian warships, part of a multibillion-dollar defence deal.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will provide three Mogami class frigates to Australia from 2029, the countries agreed on Saturday.
“Today we are announcing that contracts have now been signed for the provision of the upgraded Mogami class frigates to the Royal Australian Navy as our new general purpose frigate with the first of those to be delivered to Australia in December of 2029,” said Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles at a joint press conference in Melbourne
“Japan and Australia will expand our cooperation in all kinds of areas to enhance collective deterrence and serve as a centre pillar of collaboration with like-minded countries,” said Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
Mogami class frigates include both anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles. The first three frigates will be built in Japan, with a further eight built in Western Australia by Austal.
These three frigates’ budget is A$15-20 billion, according to the Australian national defence strategy.
Marles and Koizumi also said the two countries had signed a Mogami Memorandum to further defence industry cooperation between Australia and Japan.
Japan’s government has sought to lower restrictions on defence exports. Earlier this month, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party recommended cutting rules that limit arms sales to certain categories including transport and early warning systems.
