&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "$6bn worth defence deal between Japan and Australia: Japan's biggest defence contract since WW2")
Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured its largest defence contract since World War II. The deal includes the supply of 11 Mogami-class frigates worth $6billion (A$10 billion) over the next decade. Australian Defence Ministry chose Mitsubishi over Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), emphasising the new era of Asia Pacific Defence collaboration.
“This is clearly the biggest defence-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia,” said Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles.
Why does Australia need these ships?
For Australia, the decision shows a pragmatic approach to counter the Chinese threat in the Pacific. Australia wants to project itself as a naval powerhouse, with increasing patrols near Taiwan and assertive moves in the South China Sea. The 2023 Australian Defence Strategy Review (DSR) findings portrayed the Australian navy as substantially weak and poorly equipped to project power in the contested Indo-Pacific. It resulted in the growing urgency of Australia to modernise its naval fleet of major warships from 11 to 26, with an increased US$11.1 billion Defence budget. According to an Australian Defence Official, the new fleet will be used in patrolling vital trade routes, reinforcing maritime surveillance, and supporting allied operations frameworks like AUKUS and QUAD.
“The acquisition of these stealth frigates will make our navy a bigger navy, and a more lethal navy,” said Marles.
Why Japan's Mogami-class frigates?
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Three of these frigates will be built in Japan, and the rest will be built in Australia in a newly constructed facility under sovereign oversight. These ships feature 32 vertical-launch missile cells, with a range of 10000 nautical miles, enhanced stealth capacity with improved design, and reduced crew requirements as low as 90. Japan had a faster delivery timeline and a better suitability to Pacific conditions. The decision to choose Mitsubishi over Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems also shows a growing push for regional cooperation. Japan had been a pacifist since World War 2, but now this is the largest international defence export since World War II. It is a diplomatic economic win that shows its growing role in the region as a strategic partner.
