Latest news with #MogamiClass
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
The Japan-Australia frigate sale is a big deal. Here's why.
This week, the Australian government announced that Japan has won the hard-fought competition to provide the Royal Australian Navy's next surface warfare vessel and that it will purchase up to 11 Mogami-class frigates. The amount of money in the deal is a whopping 10 billion Australian dollars (¥950 billion) to be committed over about 20 years. While the price tag and length of the deal are substantial, they are only partly why this agreement is so significant. For Japan, it signals a key step in the evolution of its defense industry. For Australia, it offers a viable near-term solution to modernizing its navy while also supporting its own domestic shipbuilding industries. Equally important is what it means for the deepening relationship between the two countries based on the long-term commitment they are embarking upon together. Japan and Australia have dubbed their relationship the 'Special Strategic Partnership,' but it has taken time and effort from both sides to evolve it to this point, particularly in the realm of security. In the mid-1990s, the two governments started to routinize defense-related engagements. This accelerated after cooperation in the early 2000s in Iraq where Australian forces were directly responsible for protecting Japanese engineering units, as well as through burgeoning trilateral cooperation with the United States. The two governments recognized their mutual interests both in the region and abroad and signed their first joint declaration on security cooperation in 2007. By the mid-2010s, the Japan-Australian security relationship seemed to be on an irreversible path of alignment. Which is why it came as such a shock to the Japanese when the precursor to this frigate deal fell through. A decade ago, the Australian military was in the market for a new diesel-powered submarine to replace its aging Collins-class vessels. The deal came down to two options: the Japanese Soryu-class or the French Suffren-class. The Australian government opted for the French deal, in part because of guarantees on the amount that local Australian shipbuilding industries would be incorporated into the procurement process. The Japanese government felt slighted by the decision for two reasons: first, it believed the Soryu was the superior submarine; and second, it saw the deal as emblematic of deepening security ties. For the Australians, the submarine deal with France ended up collapsing anyway. Amid delays and cost increases, the government decided in 2021 that it would abandon diesel submarines altogether and move to acquire nuclear-powered vessels under the new AUKUS pact. The result is that Australia still has no new submarines almost 10 years after eschewing the Japanese option. Thus, one of the things that this deal does is erase the memory of the Soryu-class submarine deal gone wrong. With this frigate deal, Japan and Australia get a mulligan — that is, they have another opportunity at a big, multiyear procurement agreement with a guarantee for new vessels to be delivered in the near term. However, even this recent outcome was not guaranteed for the two defense partners. Like the last submarine competition, it came down to Japan and a European competitor — this time, it was the Germans. The German Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems A-200 Frigate held an early advantage based on the fact that Australia already had previous experience with procurement of its Anzac-class vessels from a Thyssen group subsidiary. But with an aim of guaranteeing near-term delivery, the Japanese Mogami-class prevailed. There are still additional steps that must be taken. Australia's Department of Defence must now engage Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the Japanese government in negotiating and entering binding commercial contracts. Their aim is to complete this process next year, with the delivery of the first Mogami-class frigate to Australia by 2029. For the Japanese government, this will make for the largest defense export to date. It is a huge milestone that entices Japanese companies to invest more heavily into their defense-related industries. Up to this point, export controls and the Japanese government's inability to facilitate the conclusion of deals have hampered progress in achieving these kinds of deals even when Japan has had top-of-the-line products. While the Soryu-class submarine offers one salient example, another is the ShinMaywa US-2 rescue seaplane — a one-of-a-kind search and rescue craft that still has not been exported overseas despite foreign interest. The fact that the Japanese government has finally netted something of this magnitude may be the kind of signal to Japan's big conglomerates that this sector can promise a worthwhile return on investment. For Australia, this deal is significant because it accelerates the procurement of its next-generation frigates. The administration of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is touting that this new design will enable the delivery of the new frigate five years ahead of the previous government's designs. The successful integration of this new vessel will help modernize the Australian Navy as it continues its important efforts to preserve the rules-based international order in the maritime domain. Further, the deal allows for investment in local Australian manufacturers. While the final contours of the deal will be worked out next year, a key parameter for this recent agreement-in-principle is that the shipbuilding will eventually transition from Japan to Australian soil in cooperation with domestic shipbuilders. Thus, this is not just a deal that satisfies government interests but creates important and enduring links to private sector interests as well. As the Australian government announced, this deal will underpin a 20-year program of record, and that is not even including the longer-term sustainment initiatives. Considering that vessels operate for decades, this agreement signals long-term investment from both countries. As for interoperability between defense forces, the deal promises both information-sharing and like systems. Licensed assembly in Australia means that there will be a necessary transfer of information on defense technology and operational designs. Further, interoperability becomes easier when the systems being used are alike. And, if all goes well, there is potential for similar procurement options in the future. It also offers additional synergy with the U.S. ally. As the Japanese touted to the Australian government, the Mogami-class frigate is designed to operate principally with Japanese and American technologies (e.g., weapons targeting systems, radars, datalink systems, etc.), meaning that Australia can leverage its existing relationships with U.S. defense companies for long-term sustainment and potential future upgrades. Understanding all this, it is easier to recognize why this frigate agreement is such a big deal. With it, the growing Japan-Australia Special Strategic Partnership just added another foundational pillar. [bio]Michael MacArthur Bosack is the special adviser for government relations at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies. He previously served in the Japanese government as a Mansfield fellow.[bio]
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Australia to buy 11 advanced warships from Japan
Australia will upgrade its navy with 11 Mogami-class frigates built by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday. Billed as one of Japan's biggest defence export deals since World War II, Australia will pay US$6 billion (Aus$10 billion) over the next 10 years to acquire the fleet of stealth frigates. Australia is in the midst of a major military restructure, bolstering its navy with long-range firepower in an effort to deter China. It is striving to expand its fleet of major warships from 11 to 26 over the next decade. "This is clearly the biggest defence-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia," Marles said, touting the deal. "This decision was made based on what was the best capability for Australia," he added. "We do have a very close strategic alignment with Japan." Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was awarded the tender over Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Mogami-class warships are advanced stealth frigates equipped with a potent array of weapons. Marles said they would replace Australia's ageing fleet of Anzac-class vessels, with the first Mogami-class ship to be on the water by 2030. "The Mogami-class frigate is the best frigate for Australia," said Marles. "It is a next-generation vessel. It is stealthy. It has 32 vertical launch cells capable of launching long-range missiles." The deal further cements a burgeoning security partnership between Australia and Japan. Japan is deepening cooperation with US allies in the Asia-Pacific region that, like Tokyo, are involved in territorial disputes with China. Both Japan and Australia are members of the "Quad" group alongside India and the United States. Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tuesday the deal was "proof of trust in our nation's high-level technology and the importance of interoperability between Japan's self defence forces and the Australian military." It was also a "big step toward elevating the national security cooperation with Australia, which is our special strategic partner", Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. - 'More lethal' - Japan's pacifist constitution restricts it from exporting weapons -- but Tokyo has in recent years loosened arms export controls to boost sales abroad. "This is Japan's largest defence export deal since 1945 with a non-US partner," said Yee Kuang Heng from the University of Tokyo's Security Studies Unit. "And only the second since Tokyo loosened its guidelines on defence exports in 2014, which led to exports of air surveillance radar to the Philippines." Heng said the deal was a "massive shot in the arm" for Japan as it sought to strengthen its defence manufacturing industry. Australian defence industry minister Pat Conroy said the Mogami-class frigates were capable of launching long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. "The acquisition of these stealth frigates will make our navy a bigger navy, and a more lethal navy," he said. The first three Mogami-class frigates will be built overseas, Conroy said, with shipbuilding yards in Western Australia expected to produce the rest. Australia announced a deal to acquire US-designed nuclear-powered submarines in 2021, scrapping a years-long plan to develop non-nuclear subs from France. Under the tripartite AUKUS pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, the Australian navy plans to acquire at least three Virginia-class submarines within 15 years. The AUKUS submarine programme alone could cost the country up to US$235 billion over the next 30 years, according to Australian government forecasts, a price tag that has stoked criticism. Major defence projects in Australia have long suffered from cost overruns, government U-turns, policy changes and project plans that make more sense for local job creation than defence. Australia plans to gradually increase its defence spending to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product -- above the 2 percent target set by its NATO allies, but well short of US demands for 3.5 percent. sft/lec/dhc Solve the daily Crossword
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Australia to buy 11 advanced warships from Japan
Australia will upgrade its navy with 11 Mogami-class frigates built by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday. Australia is in the midst of a major military restructuring announced in 2023, turning towards long-range strike capabilities to better respond to China's naval might. It is striving to expand its fleet of major warships from 11 to 26 over the next 10 years. "This is clearly the biggest defence-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia," Marles said, touting the US$6 billion (Aus$10 billion) deal. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was awarded the tender over Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. "This decision was made based on what was the best capability for Australia," Marles said. "We do have a very close strategic alignment with Japan." Mogami-class warships are advanced stealth frigates equipped with a potent array of weapons. Marles said they would replace Australia's ageing fleet of Anzac-class vessels, with the first Mogami-class ship to be in service by 2030. "The Mogami-class frigate is the best frigate for Australia," said Marles. "It is a next-generation vessel. It is stealthy. It has 32 vertical launch cells capable of launching long-range missiles." Defence industry minister Pat Conroy said the frigates were capable of launching long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. - 'More lethal' - "The acquisition of these stealth frigates will make our navy a bigger navy, and a more lethal navy," he said. The first three Mogami-class frigates will be built overseas, Conroy said, with shipbuilding yards in Western Australia expected to produce the rest. Australia announced a deal to acquire US-designed nuclear-powered submarines in 2021, scrapping a years-long plan to develop non-nuclear subs from France. Under the tripartite AUKUS pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, the Australian navy plans to acquire at least three Virginia-class submarines within 15 years. The AUKUS submarine programme alone could cost the country up to US$235 billion over the next 30 years, according to Australian government forecasts, a price tag that has stoked criticism of the strategy. Major defence projects in Australia have long suffered from cost overruns, government U-turns, policy changes and project plans that make more sense for local job creation than defence. Australia plans to gradually increase its defence spending to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product -- above the two percent target set by its NATO allies, but well short of US demands for 3.5 percent.
CNA
4 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Australia to buy 11 advanced warships from Japan: Defence minister
SYDNEY: Australia will upgrade its navy with 11 Mogami-class frigates built by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday (Aug 5). "This is clearly the biggest defence-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia," Marles said, touting the US$6 billion deal. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was awarded the tender over Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Australia announced a major restructuring of its military in 2023, turning towards long-range strike capabilities to better respond to China's naval might. Mogami-class warships are advanced stealth frigates equipped with a potent array of weapons. Marles said they would replace Australia's ageing fleet of Anzac-class vessels, with the first Mogami-class ship to be in service by 2030. "The Mogami-class frigate is the best frigate for Australia," said Marles. "It is a next-generation vessel. It is stealthy. It has 32 vertical launch cells capable of launching long-range missiles." Defence industry minister Pat Conroy said the frigates were capable of launching long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles. "The acquisition of these stealth frigates will make our navy a bigger navy, and a more lethal navy," he said.
