The move came after the Australian government had shortlisted Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) of Germany over Spanish and South Korean contenders to build Australia’s future frigates.
TKMS has offered its MEKO A-200 design. Meanwhile, Japan has pitched the upgraded Mogami-class, or New FFM (also known as 06FFM), according to the Japanese government statement.
Japan’s joint committee comprises public sector-members from the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the Cabinet Secretariat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as well as private sector-members from five companies, namely, MHI, Mitsubishi Electric, NEC, Hitachi, and Japan Marine United.
Vice Defense Minister Kazuo Masuda, the top bureaucrat of the defense ministry, and MHI President Seiji Izumisawa serve as co-chairmen of the committee.
On December 13, the Japanese government held the first committee meeting at the MoD in Tokyo.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said at the meeting:
“We will together as an all-Japan team to present a proposal which will be the best choice for Australia,”
Japan is also moving on the marketing front which is unprecedented. On December 19, ATLA released a video of the Mogami-class frigate in English language to promote the Mogami frigate to the Australian audience. The video description reads:
“Japan’s decision for Royal Australian Navy Sea3000 confirmed 06FFM Mogami can be transferred to Australia, for deeper cooperation with our Special Strategic Partner and regional shipbuilding / sustainment capabilities. Team Japan will continue our effort toward final selection! This video introduces the four strengths of Mogami-class frigate. Please be sure to check this out !”
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) on November 25 said in selecting a winner for the 10 billion Australian dollars (US$6.5 billion) project, it will now work with the two shipbuilders and Australian industry partners to further develop the proposals for their respective ship designs.
Under the decade-long general purpose frigate program known as Project Sea 3000, the Australian government plans to ensure the RAN “is equipped with a larger and more lethal surface combatant fleet to respond to our strategic circumstances,” the DoD said in a statement.
Australia’s new general purpose frigates “will be equipped for undersea warfare and local air defense in order to secure maritime trade routes and our northern approaches,” it added.
Australia plans to acquire 11 new general purpose frigates to complement the country’s combat-ready fleet of warships by replacing the eight aging Anzac-class frigates commissioned in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The first three ships will be built offshore, with the first to be delivered to the RAN in 2029 and enter service in 2030. The remaining eight will be built at Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.
The Australian government plans to make the final decision next year.
In 2016, the Australian government awarded the $40 billion contract for its next generation submarines to French shipbuilder DCNS (now known as Naval Group) after a bidding battle between Japan, France and Germany. Soryu-class submarines of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force that Tokyo had promoted were said to be among the world’s best conventionally powered submarines, but it was clear that Japan lacked the strength to win a competitive bid from a foreign government. This time, the Japanese government is trying to avoid a repeat of that mistake with an ‘All Japan’ effort.
Eventually, even the deal with France was scrapped, as Australia opted to pursue nuclear-powered submarines under its AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom and United States.
