Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles announced that a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan is expected to be signed later this year. This will be Australia's second-largest defense purchase, following the 2023 nuclear submarine contract with the US and the UK. It is also one of Japan's largest defense export deals.
"This is essential to equip our navy with a powerful force projection capability, central to our strategic challenges. This marks a significant moment in the Australia-Japan relationship," Marles said.
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JS Mogami frigate at sea in 4/2022. Photo: Wikimedia |
JS Mogami frigate at sea in 4/2022. Photo: Wikimedia
Australia chose Japan's Mogami-class frigate over the German-made MEKO A-200. According to Marles, the Mogami class boasts long-range missile capabilities, a range of over 18,500 km, and a high degree of automation. Australia's current Anzac-class frigates have a range of over 11,000 km and larger crews than the Mogami class.
In 2024, the Australian government announced a $6.5 billion investment to acquire multi-role frigates to replace the Anzac class. These new vessels will conduct anti-submarine and air defense operations, protecting maritime trade routes and approaches to northern Australia.
The first three frigates will be built overseas, while the rest will be constructed in Western Australia. The first frigate is scheduled for delivery in 2029.
Developed by Japan, the Mogami-class frigate features a modern design and stealth technology. Each vessel measures over 132 m in length, has a full load displacement of 5,500 tons, and can reach a top speed of 56 km/h.
A key feature of the Mogami class is the UNICORN (unified radio-frequency column) atop the command tower, housing various antennas and sensors.
The Mogami-class frigate is armed with a 127 mm Mark 45 naval gun, two eight-cell Type 17 anti-ship missile launchers, a SeaRAM close-in weapon system, 16 Mark 41 vertical launch system cells, and two remote weapon stations equipped with 12.7 mm guns.
Nguyen Tien (Reuters, War Zone, AFP)
