Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday to deliver the first three of a 10 billion Australian dollar ($6.5 billion) fleet of Japanese-designed warships, with the first due for delivery in three years. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build the first three Mogami -class frigates in Japan. Australia plans to build another eight in a shipyard in Western Australia state. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles attended a signing ceremony aboard the Mogami-class frigate JS Kumano, which is part of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, docked off the Australian city of Melbourne. The Kumano had taken part in the recent Exercise Kakadu, biennial multinational maritime drills hosted by Australia.

Full report : Australia and Japan seal $6.5 billion warship deal with 3 Mogami frigates ordered first.