Japan’s first warship sale opens door to future exports but comes with strings attached

Japan has spent decades building warships – exclusively for itself. The contract signed on 18 April between the Australian government and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) for three upgraded Mogami-class frigates changes that entirely.

The deal, formalised during a ceremony in Melbourne attended by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Japanese Minister of Defence Koizumi Shinjiro, represents the first time Tokyo has exported a new-build major surface combatant in the post-war era.

Under the SEA 3000 programme, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will receive three frigates constructed at MHI’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery