Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles (left) and Japan’s Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro (right) pose for a photo with Eisaku Ito, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, before the signing of Japan’s contract for the supply of the first three Mogami-class frigates in Melbourne on April 18, 2026. The dozen stealth frigates are part of a broader military build-up by Canberra aimed at boosting its long-range strike capability to deter China.
William West AFP | getty images
Meanwhile, Canberra has committed Up to AU$20 billion for a fleet of 11 general purpose warships. The first three will be constructed by MHI.
The new warships, based on the upgraded Mogami-class frigates, will replace the current ANZAC-class in the Australian Navy, which are in service Since the 1980s.
Japan’s MHI beat German rival ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to win the deal. Japan said Australia could receive the first of the advanced warships before its own navy, tipping the AU$10 billion competition in MHI’s favor. According to Australian news outlet ABC.
Nikkei reported this Other companies involved in the deal include NEC Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric and Hitachi, which will provide radar, antennae and other systems for the ships.
Shares of Mitsubishi Electric were last up 3.64%, while Hitachi saw a small gain of 0.8%. NEC shares slipped 0.6%.
In its national defense strategy Released on 16 April, Canberra identified that China’s “rising national power and increasingly powerful military capabilities” will be key factors in security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.
The report said Beijing will continue to prosecute its maritime and territorial claims in the South and East China Sea using the People’s Liberation Army and the China Coast Guard.
“The PLA’s interception of foreign military vessels and aircraft operating under international law in international waters and airspace is persistent and, at times, unsafe and unprofessional.”
