The first such contract in 80 years. 11 futuristic ships

• Australia has ordered 11 modern Mogami-class frigates – three will be built in Japan and eight in Australia.
• Their main task will be to protect key sea lanes in the face of China's growing presence.
• The agreement is consistent with Tokyo's strategy to strengthen military cooperation with non-US partners, sending a clear signal to Beijing.

According to Reuters, under the agreement, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will deliver three multi-role, futuristic-looking, next-generation Mogami-class frigates to the Royal Australian Navy , which will be built in Japan from 2029. A further eight units will be built in Australia.

The highly automated frigates, designed for anti-submarine, anti-surface, and air defense roles, can be operated by just 90 sailors—half the crew of the current Anzac-class frigates. Australia plans to use them to protect strategic sea lanes and the northern approaches in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where China's military presence is growing.

The agreement is also part of Japan's strategy to build a defense relationship that goes beyond its alliance with the US, as a counterweight to China . "Such cooperation makes it harder for China to play Japan and Australia off against each other and sends a clear signal to Beijing: both countries want to transform their quasi-alliance into real cooperation," commented Euan Graham of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

It is also the first such significant agreement for the Japanese defense industry since World War II, signaling its growing role in the global market.

Mogami-class frigates are modern Japanese stealth ships characterized by:

• low radar detectability,
• displacement of about 5.5 thousand tons,
• length 133 meters.

The Australian versions of these units are to be exceptionally heavily armed, including 32 vertical launchers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Reuters notes that the Australian government's selection of Mogami frigates came at the expense of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems' German MEKO A-200 design. MHI shares rose 5.7 percent in Tokyo following the announcement, while Austal shares ended the day up 7.94 percent, boosted by Canberra's assurances of a steady flow of orders for the new shipbuilding program.