Australia is reported to plan to purchase Japanese frigates, which will be Japan's first export of warships
According to a report by The Australian on Monday, citing multiple defense industry sources, Australia is expected to decide this week whether to cooperate with Japan or Germany in building its new general-purpose frigate fleet.
The report stated that the government led by Australian Prime Minister Albanese will decide in the coming days whether to replace the aging Anzac-class frigates of the Royal Australian Navy with the Asahi-class frigates designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries or the MEKO A200 frigates from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany.
The Australian report noted that the Asahi-class frigates used by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force are widely considered to have advantages because they are newer and better equipped. The crew size of these Japanese frigates is also smaller, about 90 people, while the German frigates have a crew of about 120 people.
According to the report by The Australian, it is believed that the Asahi-class frigates are at least 20% more expensive than the MEKO A200 frigates, and due to Japan's lack of experience in building warships overseas, the risk is higher.
Since the MEKO A200 frigate is a modern version of the Anzac-class frigates of the Royal Australian Navy, this German ship will provide the Australian navy personnel with a more familiar control.
According to the Australian government, the frigate program requires the construction of 11 ships, with the first three built abroad and the rest built at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia. This procurement is part of the Australian Defence Force's plan to expand the fleet over the next decade, due to the increasing military influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The report said that Canberra has not yet conducted a full tender for the frigate program, but informed sources revealed that the Albanese government has sufficient technical information from the two bids to "narrow down" one bidder for final price negotiations, and if the negotiations fail, it can reselect another bidder.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, Australia is preparing to purchase Japanese-made frigates for its navy and plans to sign contracts with companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries within the year, which will be Japan's first export of warships.
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