Three nations discuss Japan's Mogami frigate partnership
At a historic Singapore summit, defence chiefs from Japan, Australia, and NZ discussed adding Japan's upgraded Mogami frigates to the NZ fleet.
"This is a highly significant opportunity for the prosperity, peace, and stability of the Indo-Pacific region," said Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Meeting alongside his Australian and New Zealand counterparts, Richard Marles and Chris Penk, Koizumi emphasised that New Zealand’s adoption of the upgraded Mogami would drastically enhance military interoperability among the three nations.
Following the meeting, Koizumi revealed that Tokyo aims to fast-track negotiations with Wellington to secure a formal pact on transferring defence equipment and technology.
The Mogami-Class Frigate Momentum:
Australia: Has already committed to jointly developing and manufacturing its navy's next-generation frigate with Japan, using the upgraded Mogami design as the blueprint.
New Zealand has shortlisted the improved Mogami alongside a British warship candidate. A final decision on its next-generation fleet is expected by late 2027.
The defence chiefs also addressed growing security challenges, particularly China's expanding maritime footprint in the Western Pacific and the Southern Hemisphere. The ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to maintaining a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific."
On the sidelines of the summit, Koizumi also held a bilateral meeting with British Defence Secretary John Healey. The two agreed to deepen defence ties, highlighted by their ongoing trilateral mega-project with Italy to engineer a next-generation fighter jet.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
