Japan is set to make a bid for joining Australia’s planned development of a new warship, Japanese government sources said Monday, as Tokyo pushes for cooperation on defense equipment and technology with like-minded countries.
Japan’s Defense Ministry plans to offer a prototype based on the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s cutting-edge Mogami-class destroyer in the potential joint development of a frigate with the Australian Navy, according to the sources.
The plan will be discussed during the “two-plus-two” security talks involving the foreign and defense ministers of Japan and Australia, scheduled for Thursday in Melbourne, the sources said. The meeting comes amid China’s growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japan will likely compete against Germany, Spain and South Korea in the bidding, as the Australian government mentioned the four nations as partner candidates when it announced in February the plan of introducing 11 new frigates.
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/japan-to-bid-for-australia’s-naval-ship-development
