By Anietie anii-bassey
Australia and Japan have signed a major defense agreement for the delivery of a new fleet of Japanese-designed warships, marking a significant step in the growing military partnership between the two countries.
Under the agreement, Australia will acquire 11 new frigates based on Japan’s Mogami-class design in a deal worth about 10 billion Australian dollars, or roughly $6.5 billion.
The first three vessels will be built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, while the remaining eight warships are expected to be constructed in Australia at a shipyard in the state of Western Australia.
The first frigate is scheduled to be delivered to Australia in 2029, with the full program expected to modernize the country’s naval fleet over the coming decade.
The agreement was formally signed aboard the JS Kumano while the ship was docked near the city of Melbourne.
The ceremony was attended by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles.
The JS Kumano had recently taken part in Exercise Kakadu, a major multinational naval exercise hosted by Australia every two years.
Australia announced last year that Japan had won the contract for its next generation of general purpose frigates, beating a rival bid from German defense company Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and its MEKO A-200 design.
The victory was seen as an important achievement for Japan’s defense industry, which has been seeking to expand its role in international arms exports.
Japan had previously failed in its bid to supply submarines to Australia in 2016, when Canberra instead selected a French company for a major submarine project.
The new Mogami-class fleet will replace Australia’s ageing ANZAC-class frigates, which defense officials increasingly consider vulnerable to modern missile strikes and drone attacks.
Australian officials say the new warships will provide the country with a more advanced and more powerful naval force capable of responding to growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Marles said the new ships would help create a larger and more lethal surface fleet for the Royal Australian Navy.
He said the timeline for the program was especially important because it represented the fastest acquisition of a major surface combat vessel in the history of the Royal Australian Navy.
According to Marles, the rapid delivery schedule reflects Australia’s desire to modernize its naval capabilities as quickly as possible in response to an increasingly uncertain security environment.
Japan has also been moving to strengthen its military posture in recent years. The country has increased defense spending, expanded security ties with regional partners and gradually relaxed long-standing restrictions on defense exports.
Although the United States remains Japan’s only formal treaty ally, Tokyo now sees Australia as one of its closest and most important security partners in the region.
Marles welcomed Japan’s decision to ease export controls on military equipment and technology, saying it created new opportunities for defense cooperation between trusted partners.
He described Japan as an industrial powerhouse and said the Mogami-class project would not only strengthen Australia’s military but also support the growth of the country’s domestic defense industry through local shipbuilding.
Koizumi said the agreement marked a major new stage in defense relations between the two nations.
He said the arrival of Japanese-designed warships in the Australian fleet would elevate bilateral military cooperation to a much higher level.
Koizumi also said Japan continues to be regarded as an indispensable partner under Australia’s updated national defense strategy, which includes an additional 53 billion Australian dollars in military spending over the next decade.
One of the key reasons Australia selected the Mogami-class design was its smaller crew requirement.
Koizumi noted that each ship can operate with around 90 personnel, roughly half the number needed to crew Australia’s current ANZAC-class frigates.
Australia has struggled in recent years with military recruitment and retention, making a smaller crew requirement especially attractive.
Australian officials said the new frigates will be equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and facilities to support combat helicopters.
Each vessel is expected to be operated by around 92 sailors and officers.
The agreement highlights how both Australia and Japan are deepening their security cooperation as tensions rise across the Indo-Pacific, particularly over concerns about regional military expansion, maritime disputes and the growing use of advanced missile and drone technology.
For both countries, the warship deal is not only a major military investment but also a signal of closer strategic ties in a rapidly changing region.
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