Australia has tapped Japan to begin building its next fleet of warships as the nation retires the ANZAC-class fleet. Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries beat German manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems as Japan’s Mogami frigate was more desirable than the German MEKO A-200. This is a landmark win for Japan as it marks the first time Japan has exported warships to a foreign nation.
The first 11 frigates alone are worth at least 10 billion Australian dollars ($6.5 billion USD). Japan will produce the first three ships domestically before building a facility in Australia to create the rest. Australia has exclusive access to the first Mogami warships. The 4,800-tonne Mogami carriers are faster than their German rival’s at a speed of 30 knots and has a range of 10,000 nautical miles. The ANZAC-class ship required a crew of 170 compared to the frigate’s need for only 90 personnel, maximizing operational efficiency.
“The upgraded Mogami is built in a way that makes it easy to customise depending on the owner’s order — the power setting and the space design are different from the original one, so the ship is ready to cater to any requests coming from the Australian government,” ATLA official Koji Nishimura stated. “From the very first phase of the project, I thought about the benefit for Australia and for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, because of that we formed an all-Japan team — with Ministry of Defence working as a team to make this project happen,” he added.
“This is clearly the biggest defence industry agreement that will ever have been struck between Japan and Australia. In fact, it’s really one of the biggest defence exports that Japan has ever engaged in,” Defence Minister Richard Marles said
This is a huge win for Japan as they have not previously had a heavy role in defense exports. The deal will show the world if Japanese manufacturers can reliably enter the sector and begin exerting its geopolitical power. Domestic defense is a matter of survival for Japan but now it has the ability to share its elite manufacturing capacities with the world.
The US supported Japan’s bid because it plans to use American-made components and comes equipped to carry American-made missiles specifically. The European Union has been back and forth on whether it wants to continue purchasing military equipment from America. Germany’s loss is a big hit to its already contracting manufacturing sector, as the nation was once the go-to for industrial exports. Japan is not beholden to unelected officials who could sway policy and, therefore, trade.
