In what has been described as the largest defence deal between the two countries, Australia has entered into an agreement with Tokyo to buy 11 state-of-the-art warships.
Australia’s Defence Minister, Richard Marles, announced that the deal involved purchasing 11 Mogami-class frigates, which would be supplied by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
The cost has been reported as some 10 billion Australian dollars (around $6.5bn).
The frigates are stealth ships, which can be armed with long-range missiles. Their operational range of 18,520 kms is well in excess of the 11,122 kms capability of Australia’s Anzac-class frigates. They also require a smaller crew.
“It is a next-generation vessel. It is stealthy. It has 32 vertical launch cells capable of launching long-range missiles,” Marles commented.
He added, “It’s going to be really important in terms of giving our navy the capability to project, and impactful projection is at the heart of the strategic challenge.”
Three of the frigates are expected to be built in Japan, the remainder in Australia. The vessels are to be in service by 2030.
The deal marks the first export of Japanese warships since the Second World War.
This deal is part of a much larger project worth some $55 billion Australian dollars, to expand the country’s naval capacity. Australia has viewed the flexing of Chinese maritime might in the region as a serious threat, prompting it to increase its military preparedness.
[Image: By Hiroshi miyaji – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125836719]