Australia has chosen Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ upgraded Mogami-class platform as the template for the Royal Australian Navy’s future fleet of general-purpose frigates, replacing the service branch’s Anzac-class warships. According to a government announcement, the Department of Defence will move to secure an early agreement on a commercial contract by 2026.
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Cutting-Edge Weapons Systems
The upgraded Mogami-class frigate has a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles, a 32-cell vertical launch system, and surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles. The government noted that these features match the Australian Defence Force’s strategic requirements and capability needs.
The Mogami platform competed against a proposal submitted by the German firm Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy called Mitsubishi’s proposal the “best option” for RAN. “It will take our general-purpose frigates from being able to fire 32 air defense missiles to 128 missiles, giving our sailors the cutting‑edge weapons and combat systems they need to prevail in an increasingly complex environment,” he said.
Frigate Construction Plan
The shipbuilding program calls for the first three frigates to be constructed in Japan. The first delivery to Australia is expected in 2029, and service operations will start in 2030. The rest of the frigates will be built in Western Australia, where shipbuilding is under consolidation at the Henderson precinct.
The construction of general-purpose frigates with undersea warfare and air defense capability is part of the Albanese government’s planned 10-year investment of about $36 billion to more than double the RAN’s surface combatant fleet. The shipbuilding initiative is expected to support 10,000 jobs.