Japan MSDF frigate makes port call in Australia amid contract bid

 KYODO NEWS – Mar 13, 2025 – 19:06 | World, All, Japan

A Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate has made a port call in Western Australia as Japan bids for a contract to build Australia’s new fleet of general-purpose frigates.

The Mogami-class frigate Noshiro arrived at the HMAS Stirling naval base near Perth on Australia’s west coast earlier this week, the Australian Defense Department confirmed Thursday. The vessel made a port call at Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory, from Feb. 28 to March 3, according to the MSDF.

Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate Noshiro arrives at the HMAS Stirling naval base near Perth on Australia’s west coast on March 11, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Australian Defense Department)(Kyodo)

In November last year, the Australian government shortlisted the Mogami-class frigate and Germany’s MEKO A200 frigate as candidates to replace its navy’s Anzac-class frigates, in a program worth up to AU$10 billion ($6.3 billion) over the next decade.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the MSDF invited Australian military officials aboard the Noshiro at the HMAS Stirling naval base.

It is believed that MSDF officials explained the advantages of the frigate’s high-stealth performance due to the few surface irregularities in the Mogami-type hull, and the advantage of being able to operate with a smaller crew compared to the German MEKO A200 vessels, according to the sources.

The frigate produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. can be operated by a crew of around 90, half as many as similar vessels.

The Australian government is planning a large-scale increase of its navy’s combatant fleet in the next decade, amid China’s increased military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

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