Japan to Sell 11 Ships to Australia
In a significant move, Japan and Australia have agreed to a landmark defense cooperation deal, with Australia set to acquire 11 advanced Mogami-class frigates from Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This deal marks a significant step forward in the deepening of national security cooperation between two key U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific and strengthening their regional alliances amid rising strategic challenges.
The Mogami-class frigates will replace Australia's aging Anzac-class vessels, providing advanced capabilities in undersea warfare, air defense, and multi-role versatility. This modernization is intended to secure critical maritime trade routes and Australia’s northern approaches, reinforcing Australia’s strategic posture. The first three frigates will be built in Japan, with shipbuilding yards in Western Australia expected to produce the remaining eight.
The deal signifies a strengthening of the security partnership between Australia and Japan, both being important U.S. allies contending with the growing influence of China in the Indo-Pacific. It represents practical alignment on strategic priorities and interoperability, beyond just a commercial transaction. Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that the deal is "proof of trust in our nation's high-level technology" and emphasized the importance of interoperability between Japan's self-defense forces and the Australian military.
This contract is a breakthrough for Japan's military-industrial complex, signaling a significant shift from a long post-war pacifist stance toward greater defense engagement and export capability. It reflects changing interpretations of Japan’s constitutional constraints on military action and increased willingness to contribute to regional security. The deal solidifies closer defense collaboration between Japan and Australia, both members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue alongside India and the US.
The arrangement includes building the first three frigates in Japan and the remaining eight in Western Australia, boosting Australia’s shipbuilding industry alongside strengthening bilateral industrial cooperation. The Mogami-class frigates are advanced stealth frigates equipped with a potent array of weapons, including the capability to launch long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, as mentioned by Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
The deal is valued at approximately US$6 billion over the next 10 years. Japan's pacifist constitution previously restricted it from exporting weapons, but it loosened arms export controls last year to enable boosted sales abroad. This deal, the biggest defense export deal from Japan since World War II, highlights Japan's evolving defense posture and its emerging role as a security partner in the region.
The Mogami-class frigate deal is a concrete symbol and enabler of enhanced Australia-Japan defense cooperation, contributing to the broader US-led Indo-Pacific security architecture and Japan’s greater role in regional defense dynamics. As Australia plans to gradually increase its defense spending to 2.4 percent of GDP, above the 2 percent target set by NATO, but well short of US demands for 3.5 percent, this deal underscores the commitment of both countries to strengthening their defense capabilities in the face of complex geopolitical challenges.
- The deal, worth approximately $6 billion over the next 10 years, marks a significant step forward in the finance and defense industries of both Japan and Australia, as it signifies Japan's emerging role in regional policy-and-legislation and politics.
- The agreement on the Mogami-class frigates, while initially a commercial transaction, represents a practical alignment on strategic priorities and interoperability between the aerospace sectors of Japan and Australia's self-defense forces and military.
- The strategic partnership between Japan and Australia, founded on their mutual interests in the Indo-Pacific region, is further strengthened by this deal, contributing to general-news headlines about their increased involvement in regional defense and security.
