Japan’s new stealth warship just won over a big buyer, in a historic first for its post-WWII weapons industry

Japan’s new stealth frigate has officially won a buyer, marking a new step for the country as it clinches its first warship export deal.

Australia announced on Tuesday that it is buying 11 of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ 5,500-ton Mogami-class frigates.

“This is clearly the biggest defence industry agreement that will ever have been struck between Japan and Australia. In fact, it’s really one of the biggest defence exports that Japan has ever engaged in,” Richard Marles, Australia’s defense minister, said in a statement at the country’s parliament.

Canberra is expected to pay $6.5 billion for the entire fleet, with three vessels to be built in Japan and the remaining eight to be built later at a port in Western Australia.

The Japanese warship is replacing Australia’s older fleet of Anzac-class frigates, which are gradually being decommissioned as each hits about 30 years of service.

The Mogami sale is a breakthrough for Japan’s weapons export industry, which Tokyo is trying to grow after lifting a decadeslong self-imposed ban on foreign arms sales.

Japan adopted the ban in the aftermath of World War II as a way of renouncing war, progressively restricting itself until it outright blocked all weapon exports.

However, in 2014, then-prime minister Shinzo Abe partially lifted the measure to allow for limited exports and weapons development with friendly countries. Six years later, Japan sold the Philippines $100 million worth of air surveillance radar systems.

Then, in 2023, Japan revised its policy to allow its companies to sell lethal weapons to partner nations — a response to growing cooperation between its rivals, North Korea and China.

With the Mogami confirmed to have won the Australian bid, the Japanese warship beat out competing vessels from Germany, Spain, and South Korea.

The 427-foot Mogami frigates are some of the world’s newest warships. Built in 2019, the first of these vessels only entered service in Japan in 2022.

The vessels are armed with two Type 17 anti-ship cruise missile launchers, a 16-cell vertical launch system, two .50 caliber machine gun turrets, two Type 12 torpedo tubes, a five-inch main gun, and space at the rear for a Seahawk helicopter or drones.

An upgraded version of the ship boasts a 32-cell vertical launch system instead, but it’s unclear if Australia will be acquiring this model.

A key selling point of the Mogami is that many of its functions, such as navigation and weapons handling, are automated. This allows it to be run by a smaller crew of about 90 people. By comparison, some warships of its size may require crews of up to 200.

Japan and Australia have been steadily deepening their military ties in the last few years, especially in light of China’s growing might. They’re one half of the Quad, a four-nation group with India and the US that was created as a counterbalance to Beijing in the Indo-Pacific.

The Mogami sale comes after Australia has been searching since last February for an interim warship program while waiting for six locally built Hunter-class heavy frigates. The first of these local ships is due in 2034.

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