The military contract of the century: Australia is purchasing Japanese Mogami-class frigates
This is according to the Reuters news agency.
Production parameters and geography
The total value of the deal, signed back in August last year, amounts to 10 billion Australian dollars (around 7 billion US dollars). The documents signed in Melbourne relate to the first three frigates.
The production plan envisages a combined approach:
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Construction in Japan: Japanese corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will supply three modernised Mogami-class multi-purpose frigates, built at its own facilities. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2029.
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Construction in Australia: Following completion of the first phase, there will be a ‘shift to shore-based construction’. A further eight frigates of this class will be built at the Henderson shipyard near Perth in Western Australia.
Strategic context and objectives
For Japan, this agreement represents the most significant military export since the lifting of the arms export ban in 2014. It confirms Tokyo’s strategic shift and departure from post-war pacifism in order to forge security ties outside the alliance with the US, particularly with Australia, in response to China’s growing influence.
Australia plans to use the new frigates for:
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hunting submarines;
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striking surface ships;
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providing air defence.
The key task for the new vessels will be to protect critical maritime trade routes and Australia’s northern approaches in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where China’s military presence is constantly expanding.
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