Australia, Japan announce $10B frigate deal

April 21, 2026

Summary

Australia will buy 11 Japanese Mogami-class frigates in a deal worth up to $10 billion, with the first ship due in 2029.

Why this matters

The deal deepens defense cooperation between Australia and Japan and adds to a broader reshaping of Indo-Pacific security ties. It also reflects Japan’s expanding role as a defense exporter.

Australia will buy 11 Japanese-built Mogami-class frigates, with the first delivery expected in 2029, officials from both countries said Saturday, highlighting closer defense ties as both governments cite concerns about China’s military activities.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the deal aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate JS Kumano in Melbourne.

The contract, worth up to $10 billion, calls for the first three ships to be built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, according to Australian government statements.

The Australian navy said the 466-foot Mogami-class ships are designed for multirole operations and include a 32-cell vertical launch system, a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles, and the ability to operate an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.

Marles said Australian sailors recently trained aboard the JS Kumano during naval exercises, according to an online transcript of his comments.

In a joint statement, Marles and Koizumi said they had discussed stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“We strongly opposed unlawful maritime claims, militarization of disputed features and other dangerous and coercive activities in the South China Sea,” the ministers said. “We expressed concern about instances of unsafe and unprofessional behavior by [China’s army] and its other maritime forces.”

They also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Marles said closer cooperation between the two countries was important for regional security and called for fewer barriers between their defense industries. Koizumi said the agreement would help “to elevate our defense cooperation to a greater height.”

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The agreement came as Japan expanded its defense export policy, easing long-standing restrictions tied to its post-World War II pacifist constitution.

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Australia will buy 11 Japanese-built Mogami-class frigates, with the first delivery expected in 2029, officials from both countries said Saturday, highlighting closer defense ties as both governments cite concerns about China’s military activities.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the deal aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate JS Kumano in Melbourne.

The contract, worth up to $10 billion, calls for the first three ships to be built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, according to Australian government statements.

The Australian navy said the 466-foot Mogami-class ships are designed for multirole operations and include a 32-cell vertical launch system, a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles, and the ability to operate an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.

Marles said Australian sailors recently trained aboard the JS Kumano during naval exercises, according to an online transcript of his comments.

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“We strongly opposed unlawful maritime claims, militarization of disputed features and other dangerous and coercive activities in the South China Sea,” the ministers said. “We expressed concern about instances of unsafe and unprofessional behavior by [China’s army] and its other maritime forces.”

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Taiwan’s ministry announced the passage Monday in a brief statement on X, with an image of the Liaoning. Taiwan’s military “monitored the situation and responded,” it said.

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The previous Chinese carrier transit was by the Fujian on Dec. 16, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense.

Taiwan also reports near-daily activity by Chinese aircraft and warships, including crossings of the strait’s unofficial median line and entries into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. Between 6 a.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday, Taiwan reported 24 aircraft sorties, seven warships, and one other ship in the area. Eleven aircraft crossed the median line.

On Friday, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said the activity was intended to “safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and was “completely legitimate, reasonable, and entirely justified,” according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.
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