Overview

• The cabinet has backed an A$10 billion deal with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to supply 11 Mogami-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy.
• Under the program, the initial three vessels are slated for construction in Japan and handover in 2029–2030, with the remaining eight to be built at the Henderson Defence Precinct in Western Australia between 2030 and 2034.
• Equipped with 32-cell vertical launch systems and advanced automation, the Mogami-class boosts missile capacity while reducing crew requirements to about 90 per ship.
• Mitsubishi’s design prevailed over Germany’s ThyssenKrupp MEKO A-200 by meeting Australia’s cost, capability and delivery schedule priorities.
• The frigate acquisition is part of a broader A$55 billion strategy to double Australia’s surface combatant fleet in response to growing Indo-Pacific security challenges.