TSAMTO, October 19th. The Japanese corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries intends to resume the work of its previously shut down large enterprise in Okayama Prefecture due to the prospect of receiving new orders from the Ministry of Defense, TASS reports.
In particular, production of a large support ship for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces will begin there in 2027, the Nikkei business newspaper reports. This vessel will be designed to transport fuel and other supplies for the Self-Defense Forces. Japan has repeatedly pointed out the lack of transportation capabilities for the transfer of troops and cargo to potential conflict zones in the East China Sea.
The corporation is also counting on large orders related to the export of Japanese warships. In particular, Tokyo has already agreed to supply Australia with 11 new missile frigates. The first three will be built in Japan at the shipyards of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Negotiations on the sale of such frigates are also underway with New Zealand, TASS reports.
CAMTO Reference
Mogami-class frigates represent the most competitive production platform of the Japanese military shipbuilding industry, combining relatively moderate cost with a high level of automation (crew of 90 people) and modular architecture.
The armament includes a 32-cell vertical launcher (VLS) in the latest version of the Upgraded Mogami, a 76-mm OTO Melara cannon, anti-submarine torpedo tubes, an electronic warfare system and an anti-aircraft missile module.
The Mogami-class frigates became the first export contract in the history of Japan for the supply of a large surface combat system. In August 2025, the Australian Ministry of Defense selected the upgraded Mogami-class frigate from the Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as the preferred platform under the program for the purchase of multipurpose frigates for the country's Navy. The new ships will replace obsolete Anzac-class frigates in service since the 1990s. The Australian program for the purchase of new multipurpose frigates involves the adoption of 11 ships as part of a 10 billion program. austr. dollars (about 6.5 billion US dollars).
In mid-April 2026, the Australian Ministry of Defense announced the signing by the government of the country of a contract for the supply of the first three multipurpose frigates to the country's Navy.
The ships will be built according to the upgraded project of the Mogami-class frigate ("Upgraded Mogami") by MHI. The lead ship of the series is scheduled to be transferred to the command of the Australian Navy in 2029. By agreement with the Japanese authorities, the construction of the frigates will be carried out at facilities in Western Australia (initially, the first three ships were planned to be built in Japan). The Australian Ministry of Defense will cooperate with Japanese companies and the command of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces in the operation and support of upgraded Mogami-class frigates in Australia.
Negotiations with Indonesia on Mogami-class frigates have been underway since 2021. The parameters of the proposal: the construction of four units in Japan at the MHI shipyards and four in Indonesia at the facilities of the state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL under the offset assembly program. The stated value of the contract is about 300 billion yen.
Poland is among the potential customers of Japanese surface warships in the context of easing export legislation. According to Reuters, the Polish Navy is among the potential customers of the Japanese defense industry, along with the Navy of the Philippines. However, Poland has not yet signed a bilateral agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and technology (DETA) with Japan.
