Australia, Japan Sign Mogami Frigate Contracts

Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday for the delivery of the first three upgraded Mogami-class frigates to the Royal Australian Navy, marking a key step in a landmark defense agreement valued at approximately 10 billion Australian dollars.

The signing ceremony took place in Melbourne aboard the Japanese frigate JS Kumano, which is part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and had recently participated in multinational exercises hosted by Australia. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, formalized the deal, which covers the initial vessels of a planned fleet of 11 general-purpose frigates. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will construct the three ships in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, with the first scheduled for delivery in 2029 and entry into service the following year. The remaining eight frigates will be built by Austal at the Henderson Defence Precinct in Western Australia, supporting local manufacturing and creating thousands of jobs over the next two decades.

The agreement stems from Australia's decision last August to select the Japanese design over a competing bid from Germany's ThyssenKrupp, following a...