Australia is spending billions of dollars upgrading its navy with 11 new-build Mogami-class frigates from Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Tuesday.
In what is possibly Japan’s single biggest defence export deal since World War II, AFP reports Australia will pay U.S.$6.5 billion across the next decade to acquire the fleet of stealth frigates.
Australia is in the midst of a major military restructure, bolstering the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) with long-range firepower in an effort to deter a more aggressive China seeking to project power across the South China Sea.
The RAN is striving to expand its fleet of major warships from 11 to 26 over the next decade.
“This is clearly the biggest defence-industry agreement that has ever been struck between Japan and Australia,” Marles said, touting the deal.
