Australian general purpose frigate program

[Ozair]

Australia Announces Contract For First Three ‘Upgraded Mogami’ General Purpose Frigates Under SEA 3000​

The Albanese Government has taken a major step towards delivering a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet with contracts now signed for Australia’s first three general purpose frigates.

Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the ships will be of the upgraded Japanese Mogami class frigate design, with the first scheduled to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy in 2029.

The Albanese Government is working closely with the Japanese Government and industry with future ships to be constructed in Western Australia, subject to consolidation of the Henderson Defence Precinct, in line with the Government’s commitment to continuous naval shipbuilding.

Defence is also working with Japanese industry and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to develop an initial capability to sustain and operate the upgraded Mogami class frigates in Australia, supported by Australian industry and workers.

The upgraded Mogami class frigate has a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles and a 32-cell Vertical Launch System. It will be equipped with surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, crewed by 92 Royal Australian Navy sailors and officers, and capable of operating Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk maritime combat helicopter.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ontract-with-japan-for-three-upgraded-mogami/
First three are the easy part. The next eight built at Henderson will be the difficult part!

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.defensenews.com/global/...-from-japan-jolts-australian-warship-program/

MANILA, Philippines — Australia has moved to reverse a decline in the number of warships, as its surface combatant fleet stands to fall to its smallest size since World War II.

Under Project Sea 3000, Australia and Japan inked a deal to buy three upgraded Mogami-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The contract was signed by the two countries’ defense ministers aboard JS Kumano in Melbourne earlier this month.

This represents Japan’s largest-ever defense export, a major boost to its shipbuilding industry, and it advances greater strategic alignment between the two countries.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will construct three 4,800-ton frigates in Japan, with the first to be delivered by December 2029.

Another eight frigates will subsequently be built in Western Australia. This shipbuilding effort is slated to cost up to A$20 billion (US$14.4 billion) over the next decade, double the amount indicated two years ago.

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