Mogami-class frigate

Tokyo is rapidly acquiring missile-laden combat frigates to counter China and Russia in the East China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific theater.

Will Australia strategically choose Tokyo to strengthen bilateral cooperation? Or will it opt for a German-designed frigate that is familiar to the Royal Australian Navy?

The JMSDF chief praised the move as “a sign of the high trust and evaluation” of Japanese defense equipment.

For the tenth year in a row, the budget draft set a new record for national defense spending as Japan continues to pursue its Defense Buildup Program.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is pursuing more compact ships to counter China and Russia in the East China Sea and broader Indo-Pacific.

Notably, the Mogami class will boast the first unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and unmanned surface vehicle (USV) deployed on a Japanese frigate.

The Kumano is the first of a planned 22 vessels of the class, which will include capabilities never seen before on a Japanese frigate.

The new frigate class is intended for surveillance missions in waters surrounding the Japanese archipelago, including the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

If it eventuates, the $3.6 billion deal would represent the largest-ever arms transfer between the two nations.