In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by naval warfare expert Jennifer Parker to discuss the recent decision by the Australian government to select the advanced Mogami Class frigate, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding, for the $10 billion SEA 3000 General Purpose Frigate program.

Parker is an adjunct fellow in naval studies at UNSW Canberra, expert associate at the National Security College, Australian National University and has previously served for more than 20 years with the Royal Australian Navy.

The pair discuss a range of details regarding the recent general purpose frigate decision, including:

• Why the advanced Mogami Class frigate was considered to be the preferred platform for the Royal Australian Navy’s future fleet of general purpose frigates over the German TKMS bid of the MEKO A-200 frigate platform.
• The early rumours surrounding the commercial contest and the diplomatic considerations of choosing a Japanese manufactured frigate.
• Frigate capabilities and personnel characteristics, such as vertical launch systems and possible mine warfare systems.
• Speculation that Department of Defence personnel preferred the MEKO A-200 frigate design and why that may have been the case.
• Discussion around the press conference jab from Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy that the government would be “learning a lesson from the previous Coalition government” by not making major changes to the design.
• Predictions about how the new general purpose frigates will perform against a wave of newly built warships from the People’s Republic of China.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Team