Japan’s Ministry of Defense has announced that it held the second Joint Government-Industry Committee to advance negotiations aimed at supplying Mogami-class stealth frigates to the Royal Australian Navy. The meeting focused on refining the details of a proposal that has, for months, stood out as one of the top candidates to win Canberra’s approval. The announcement was made yesterday via the Ministry’s official social media accounts, highlighting the growing defense ties between the two nations.
It is worth recalling that Australia is in the process of negotiating and selecting a procurement offer for up to eleven state-of-the-art warships, which would enable the retirement of its aging ANZAC-class frigates. Broadly speaking, this would be a major deal requiring an estimated $11 billion investment from the Australian government, with the German MEKO A-200 design also in contention.
While a final selection is expected in the second half of this year, Tokyo has actively promoted the candidacy of its Mogami-class stealth frigates, offering, among other things, a range of industrial cooperation opportunities to Australia’s naval shipbuilding sector. Previous reports indicate that Japan may have proposed a construction scheme in which three ships would be built in Japan and the remaining eight at the Henderson shipyards in Australia—allowing the local government to more easily justify the acquisition to the public.
To further sweeten the offer, Japan has emphasized its technical advantages, noting that the Mogami-class design requires fewer crew members than its German counterpart and incorporates air defense capabilities specifically designed to counter threats from China—an important factor. Some additional key features of the Mogami-class include speeds of up to 30 knots, advanced Mitsubishi Electric OPY-2 AESA radars, and OQQ-25 sonar. In terms of armament, each vessel is equipped with a 127 mm Mark 45 main gun, a 16-cell Mk.41 VLS (with a possible extension in a new variant), and torpedo launchers.
Finally, it is worth noting that these frigates would also be capable of operating with the SH-60 Seahawk helicopters currently in service with the Royal Australian Navy—another point in their favor. Overall, interoperability between the two forces would be significantly enhanced in the context of potential future joint deployments in Pacific waters, especially considering that Japan views Australia as one of its key strategic partners in countering the challenge posed by China—an area where the competing German offer lacks the same degree of geopolitical synergy.
Image credits: @ModJapan_es on X
