Marles announced on Tuesday that Australia will upgrade its naval force with 11 Mogami-class frigates, which Mitsubishi Heavy Industries built for the Japanese company, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reporting that the contract, valued at $10 billion Australian dollars (some $6.5 billion), was under construction.
Marles remarked, “This is unquestionably the biggest defence-industry agreement that Japan and Australia have ever reached.”
In contrast to Australia’s current Anzac-class frigates, which have a range of about 6, 000 nautical miles (11, 112 kilometers), Marles said, Mogami-class warships are advanced stealth frigates with a range of up to 10, 000 nautical miles (18, 520km).
The new ships have a smaller crew than the Anzac class, which will be in service by 2030.
It is a vessel of the future. It is shady, according to Marles.
According to Marles, “impactful projection is at the heart of the strategic challenge,” and the deal was also “a very significant moment in the bilateral relationship between Australia and Japan.”
Our sailors will receive the cutting-edge weapons and combat systems they need, according to Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, who can now fire 128 missiles against our general purpose frigates.
The Reuters news agency reported that the “three frigate contract” will see three ships built in Japan and eight ships are anticipated to be built by Australia, despite Canberra’s decision to not specify a price tag for the vessels.
The contract for the frigates is Japan’s largest and most significant defense agreement since 2014, when it lifted its decades-old ban on military exports, and only the second time it has done so.
Gen Nakatani, the Japanese defense minister, called it a “major step forward in Japan’s defense cooperation efforts.”
He stated at a briefing in Tokyo that the advantages include improved interoperability and joint operations with both Australia and the United States.
Nakatani remarked that this collaboration is crucial to Japan’s security.
According to Australian and Japanese officials, negotiations on a contract for the agreement will start this year. It is anticipated to be signed in 2026.
Australia is currently undergoing a significant military restructuring that will take place in 2023, with an emphasis on long-range strike capabilities to combat China’s growing naval might.
Source: Aljazeera
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