RAN selects Mogami-class frigate

The Australian government has selected the upgraded Japanese Mogami-class frigate for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) future fleet of between seven and 11 General Purpose Frigates (GPF) under Project SEA 3000. The project has a value of up to $8.5 billion.

The lead ship in the new class will be delivered in 2029 and enter service from 2030, Defence says. Displacing around 4,880 tonnes with a CODAG propulsion system, the new, semi-stealthy frigates will replace the RAN’s eight ageing ANZAC-class frigates, the first of which, HMAS ANZAC, entered service in 1996 and has already been retired. The acquisition of the GPF will significantly increase the size of the RAN surface fleet, if all eleven are acquired.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) plans to acquire 12 Upgraded Mogami-class frigates, which it calls the New FFM. They will be built by prime contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Nagasaki and Japan Marine United (JMU) in Yokohama and enter service from about 2028.

The ANZAC-class ships have a single Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) with eight launch cells; the Upgraded Mogami-class ships will have four Mk41 VLSs with 32 cells and up to 128 quad-packed air defence missiles, probably RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) Block 2, as well as eight anti-ship Naval Strike Missiles (NSM).

According to the Department of Defence’s Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review, published in 2024, the RAN needs “at least 7, and optimally 11” GPFs, “optimised for undersea warfare”; the new ships will also be equipped for air defence. However, it’s not certain at this point what Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) sonars and effectors the ship will carry. Nor is it known whether or not the Upgraded Mogami-class ships will be equipped with the RAN-standard Saab 9LV Mk3 combat management system, nor what principal sensors will be fitted.

The first three Upgraded Mogami-class ships will be built in Japan for speed of delivery – at least one will be built in an assembly line slot originally allocated to the JMSDF. The remainder will probably be built in Western Australia at a consolidated Henderson shipbuilding precinct near Fremantle by Austal Defence Shipbuilding Australia Pty Limited.

“The upgraded Mogami‑class frigate is the best option for our Navy, boosting its capability to put to sea,” according to the Hon. Pat Conroy MP, Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry. “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.

“This decision comes months ahead of schedule, reinforcing our commitment to deliver of capability at speed and at a lower overall cost to taxpayers. It makes good on our commitment to deliver four times as many warships in the next 10 years compared to the plan inherited by the former Coalition government.”

The next stage of the procurement process will see Defence negotiate the prime contract, “with the aim to enter early into binding, commercial contracts with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the government of Japan in 2026,” says the Department.

“The Upgraded Mogami-class frigate will help secure our maritime trade routes and our northern approaches as part of a larger and more lethal naval surface combatant fleet,” said The Hon. Richard Marles MP, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence.

“We thank both Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, as well as the governments of Japan and Germany for their focus and cooperation throughout this procurement process.” Defence selected the Mogami-class over the German TKMS MEKO 200 frigate design.

Announcing the selection of the Upgraded Mogami-class ships, Marles and Conroy also announced the execution of Australia’s Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement with the newly established Austal Defence Shipbuilding Australia Pty Ltd.

“The Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement will provide the framework for a steady pipeline of projects to be delivered by Austal, granted it continues to perform and meet a range of conditions,” says a Defence statement. As the Strategic Shipbuilder, Austal will work closely with local industry and supply chains to develop the skills and resources required for this task, the statement adds.

The Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement builds on the already‑established pilot program between Defence and Austal and will see the delivery of 18 Landing Craft Medium (LCM) for the Australian Army and, subject to further approvals and negotiations, the build of eight Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) and two new Evolved Cape-class patrol boats for the RAN.

The Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement will also play a vital role in the establishment of a Commonwealth Defence Precinct at Henderson which will support the Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-W) at nearby Fleet Base West which will see US Navy and Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines rotate through it from 2027.

“Implementing the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement will not only support the delivery of Army’s littoral manoeuvre capability, it will also contribute to a strong, sovereign industrial base capable of responding to Australia’s evolving needs,” said Marles.