Australia selects upgraded Mogami class for frigate programme

The JMSDF's second Mogami-class frigate, JS Kumano , seen here during a stop in Singapore. Australia will acquire an improved variant of the warship for its general purpose frigate programme. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

Australia has selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' (MHI's) upgraded Mogami-class frigate as the preferred platform for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) general purpose frigate programme.

This selection follows a competitive evaluation process, and the upgraded Mogami class was assessed to be best able to quickly meet the capability requirements and strategic needs of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said in a 5 August statement.

The new warships will replace the RAN's fleet of ageing Anzac-class frigates that have been in service since the 1990s.

MHI's upgraded Mogami class is an improved variant of the Mogami-class frigates that are in service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

It defeated a MEKO A-200-derived proposal from Germany's thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) for the Australian frigate programme.

“The upgraded Mogami-class frigate boasts a range of up to 10,000 n miles, a 32-cell vertical launch system (VLS), and is fitted with surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles,” according to the statement issued by the DoD.

“It will take our general purpose frigates from being able to fire 32 air-defence missiles to 128 missiles, giving our sailors the cutting‑edge weapons and combat systems they need to prevail in an increasingly complex environment,” said Australia's Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy in the same statement.

In comparison, Japan has opted to equip each of its Mogami-class frigates with a 16-cell VLS, although not all frigates have been fitted with the weapon system.