Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has won a $10 billion deal to build Australia’s future warships.

At Parliament House this morning, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy made the official announcement. Marles anticipates that three of the frigates will be built overseas in Japan, while the Henderson shipyards in Western Australia will host the last eight.

The Japanese Mogami will be the Royal Australian navy’s new general purpose frigate, defeating the German TKMS MEKO A-200, a fierce rival.

Keen audiences of the rivalry believe that although Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) proposal was more expensive, the Mogami frigate contains better equipment and requires a smaller crew.

Conroy said that it will help the Australian navy in upgrading its capabilities.

“It will take our general purpose frigates from being able to fire 32 air defence missiles to 128 missiles, giving our sailors the cutting‑edge weapons and combat systems they need to prevail in an increasingly complex environment,” he said.

By the conclusion of 2029, the first ship will be scheduled to be delivered to Australia from Japan, while the entire fleet of vessels is projected to be completed within the following decade.

Australia’s ANZAC-class ships, which were the previous and oldest combatant fleet the navy had been operating prior to World War II, will be replaced by the Japanese model frigates.

This would not only be a crucial enhancement to Australia’s fighting fleet but also represent one of the most substantial foreign arms agreements for Japan since World War II. The Mogami class’s selection indicates a strengthening of defence connections between Japan and Australia.

The next stage will involve negotiations between MHI and the Australian government over specifics such as final pricing and technology transfer, with the objective of sealing a contract by this year’s end.