Mitsubishi Heavy Industries selected for $10 billion general purpose frigate program

The federal government has selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) upgraded Mogami-class frigate for Project SEA 3000, with the first three of 11 to be built in Japan and the rest in Western Australia.

MHI’s Mogami was announced as the preferred platform for general purpose frigates fleet on Tuesday, beating Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems' MEKO A200s. The program is expected to be worth $10 billion.

According to a statement from defence industry minister Pat Conroy, the decision was announced “months ahead of schedule”.

“The upgraded Mogami‑class frigate is the best option for our Navy, boosting its capability to put to sea,” said Conroy.

“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.” 

The frigates will have “a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles, a 32 Cell Vertical Launch System,” and be fitted with surface-to-air missiles and anti-ship missiles. The Mogami is used by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force.

The first Japanese-built ship is scheduled to reach Australia in 2029 and be operational in 2030.

Defence aims to enter into binding, commercial contracts with MHI and the government of Japan, as the next step of the procurement process, in 2026. 

Picture: JS Mogami (credit Hiroshi miyaji, CC BY-SA 4.0)