New Zealand eyes Japanese frigate after Australia picked the same ship

New Zealand has identified Japan’s Mogami-class frigate and Britain’s Type 31 as the two candidates under consideration for its naval frigate replacement program, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced on May 7, 2026, putting Tokyo’s warship design in contention for a second Pacific ally’s fleet within months of Australia selecting the same platform.

New Zealand Defence Minister Mark Penk issued a statement confirming that the government is evaluating the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Mogami-class escort vessel and the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate as replacements for two aging frigates in the Royal New Zealand Navy’s fleet, according to NHK’s reporting on the announcement. A recommendation is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The two candidates represent meaningfully different design philosophies — the Mogami-class is a Japanese-developed multimission frigate built around advanced automation and a relatively small crew, while the Type 31 is a British design optimized for affordability and export appeal across a range of naval requirements.

New Zealand’s interest in the Mogami-class comes directly in the wake of Australia’s decision, announced on August 5, 2025, to select a Mogami-derived design as the basis for its SEA 3000 frigate program — one of the most significant naval procurement decisions in the Indo-Pacific in recent years. Australia’s choice of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ proposal over the German MEKO A-200 design from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems established the Upgraded Mogami as the platform of record for a major allied navy, and New Zealand has been watching that decision closely. The two countries share defense relationships, geographic proximity, and overlapping strategic interests, and fielding compatible or common platforms would create logistical and interoperability advantages that both navies would benefit from.

Australia has already moved from selection to contract. The Australian government has signed contracts with Japan for the first three frigates of the Upgraded Mogami class for the Royal Australian Navy under the SEA 3000 program, which ultimately covers procurement of up to 11 general-purpose frigates to replace the aging Anzac-class vessels. The first three ships are to be built in Japan, with the first expected to be delivered in 2029. Subsequent vessels are planned for construction in Australia at shipyards in Western Australia, which will support local shipbuilding industry development and create the domestic industrial capacity to sustain the fleet over its operational life.

The Mogami class, known in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as the FFM type, represents a significant evolution in Japanese warship design. At approximately 3,900 tonnes, it is a compact multimission frigate built around a high degree of automation that allows it to operate with a crew considerably smaller than comparable Western frigates of similar capability. Its modular design accommodates different mission systems and weapon fits, making it adaptable across different national requirements — a key selling point for export customers who need to configure the platform for their specific doctrine and threat environment. The class has been designed with mine countermeasures capability integrated into the hull, a feature that adds considerable versatility for navies operating in waters where mine threats are a planning consideration.

New Zealand’s current frigates, the HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana, are Anzac-class vessels that have served the Royal New Zealand Navy for decades and are approaching the limits of their viable service life. Replacing them is a major defense investment for a country whose naval spending has historically been modest relative to its geographic commitments across the South Pacific. A frigate choice that aligns with Australia’s selection would reduce per-unit costs through potential commonality in systems, training, maintenance, and supply chains, and would simplify combined operations between the two navies in the region they both patrol and defend.

The Type 31, developed by Babcock International for the Royal Navy, offers a different value proposition. Designed explicitly as an affordable, exportable frigate, it has attracted interest from several nations and is entering service with the Royal Navy as the HMS Venturer class. Its lower acquisition cost relative to more heavily equipped frigates makes it attractive for navies with constrained budgets, and its modular weapons fit allows progressive capability upgrades over time. For New Zealand, which has historically balanced defense capability against fiscal reality in its procurement decisions, the Type 31’s cost profile may carry significant weight in the evaluation.