Australia has signed a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to acquire three upgraded Mogami-class general purpose frigates, with the first ship to be delivered before the end of the decade.
The purchase forms part of the Australian government’s wider Project SEA 3000 plan, announced in early 2024, to acquire 11 general purpose frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at a cost of up to A$20 billion.
The 142-metre upgraded Mogami platform will have a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles and will be equipped with surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, fired from a 32-cell vertical launch system (VLS).
Each ship will displace up to 6,200 tonnes, have a crew of 92, and be capable of sailing at in excess of 30 knots. The flight deck will be able to accommodate the RAN’s MH-60R Seahawk maritime combat helicopter.
A statement from MHI revealed the first three boats will be built at the firm’s Nagasaki shipyard, with delivery of the first vessel scheduled for the final month of 2029. Defence Australia indicated further potential ships could be constructed in Western Australia “subject to consolidation of the Henderson Defence Precinct.”
Saturday’s contract ceremony was marked by representatives of both governments signing a ‘Mogami Memorandum’, reaffirming their commitment to delivery of Australia’s frigate programme and deeper defence industry cooperation.
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles commented: “Our surface fleet is more important than at any time in decades. These general purpose frigates will help secure our maritime trade routes and northern approaches as part of a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet.”
And Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy added: “This is the fastest acquisition for the Royal Australian Navy in peacetime. We are working closely with Japanese and Australian industry partners as we acquire one of the most, if not the most, advanced general-purpose frigate in the world.”
- You can read more details on the Defence Australia website and the MHI website