Japan and Australia have signed a multi-billion-dollar contract for the supply of eleven Mogami-class stealth frigates to the Australian navy, with the first three vessels to be built in Japan and delivered by late 2029. The remaining frigates will be assembled at the Henderson shipyard near Perth, in western Australia. The deal, awarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries over rival bidder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, reflects deepening strategic ties between Tokyo and Canberra, both of which share concerns about China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific — Japan's defence minister going so far as to say there is "no limit" to bilateral military cooperation. The agreement complements Australia's existing AUKUS commitments (a trilateral security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom focused on nuclear-powered submarines), as Canberra seeks to expand its surface fleet from 11 large vessels to 26 over the next decade, partly to better secure its northern maritime approaches.