Japan will provide Australia with advanced stealth frigates in a major defence deal, enhancing Canberra’s naval power amid regional tensions.
SYDNEY: Japan has finalised a major defence export deal to supply Australia’s navy with advanced stealth frigates. The agreement, signed on Saturday, is part of Canberra’s significant military build-up to boost its long-range firepower.
Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro attended the contract signing for the first three vessels. Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy hailed the acquisition as the fastest in peacetime for the Royal Australian Navy.
“We are working closely with Japanese and Australian industry partners as we acquire one of the most, if not the most, advanced general-purpose frigates in the world,” he said. The deal, announced last year, is one of Japan’s largest defence exports since World War II.
Australia will pay Au$10 billion (USD 6 billion) over the next decade to acquire the fleet. The contract was awarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which outbid Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
The Mogami-class warships are advanced stealth frigates equipped with a potent array of weapons. This acquisition supports Australia’s goal to expand its fleet of major warships from 11 to 26 over the next ten years.
The deal deepens Japan’s military cooperation with US allies in the Asia-Pacific. Both nations are members of the “Quad” security group alongside India and the United States.
Like Tokyo, several regional US allies are involved in territorial disputes with China. The warship deal is seen as a move to enhance deterrence capabilities in the region.