In April 2026, Japan and Australia reached an agreement and signed a contract for Japan to provide and export to Australia the next-generation multi-purpose frigates, which are enhanced versions of the Mogami-class destroyers. While many commentaries have been written regarding this Japan-Australia defense cooperation, I would like to outline the historical background that everyone seems to have forgotten.
The author has been involved with Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island countries since the late 1980s, both in the field and through academic research, and has always paid close attention to Australia’s role.
Ohira and Fraser's Pan-Pacific Vision: The Birth of APEC
Following the 1976 Japan-Australia Friendship Agreement, postwar Japan-Australia relations led to Prime Minister Ohira's vision of a Pacific Rim solidarity. Ōhira titled this concept “Pacific Ocean Community” in English, with an eye toward a free and open community, as well as the Pacific island countries and the ocean itself. In agreement with Australian Prime Minister Fraser, it evolved into APEC, a framework for regional economic cooperation. Economics and defense are inseparable, and the recent Mogami Agreement is also rooted in this regional economic vision. Crucially, this goes beyond bilateral Japan-Australia relations to encompass security issues in the Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific regions.
The Submarines Abbott Approached with Abe
Concrete military cooperation between Japan and Australia began during the “honeymoon period” between Abe and Abbott. In 2014, Abbott approached Abe about importing Soryu-class submarines and seeking cooperation on the project. During Abbott’s visit to Japan in April of that year, the two reached an agreement on cooperation regarding submarine-related technology. As you know, the subsequent developments led to France being selected in 2016 under the Turnbull administration. However, in 2021, the Morrison administration scrapped the contract with France, and the submarines are now scheduled to be built in the United States under the AUKUS. There is significant pressure in Australia to protect local industries such as shipbuilding, and Japan’s Mogami-class destroyers are also planned to be built in Australia in the future.
Maritime Security on the Agenda at the 2018 Pacific Islands Leaders Summit
The “Pacific Islands Leaders Summit” has been held every three years by the Japanese government since 1997. The summit’s counterparts are the Pacific island nations, including Australia and New Zealand. At the 8th Summit in 2018, maritime security and the Indo-Pacific vision were placed on the agenda for the first time. This marked a milestone in Japan’s engagement with maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. Since then, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has collaborated with Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Island countries, and Asian countries to conduct annual Indo-Pacific Deployments (IPD). Through these efforts, defense cooperation with Australia has advanced, and a relationship of mutual trust has been fostered.
This is the perspective of the author, who has been involved in and observing Japan-Australia relations, particularly regarding the Pacific Island countries, over the past 40 years. There are many other related issues connected to today’s Japan-Australia defense cooperation, which I intend to summarize at a later date.
