Australia announces new warships will come from Japan

In a major breakthrough for Japan’s defense industry, Australia announced Tuesday that it will purchase 11 Japanese frigates in what will be Tokyo’s biggest-ever defense contract and a critical step for bilateral relations.

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said that an upgraded version of the Mogami-class frigate proposed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) was assessed as the “best able to quickly meet the capability requirements and strategic needs of the Australian Defence Force,” following a competitive bidding process for the 10 billion Australian dollar ($6.48 billion) project.

In Tokyo, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani welcomed the news later Tuesday, telling a news conference that the decision “marks a significant step toward further enhancing security cooperation.”