Japan orders 3 Upgraded Mogami-class frigates to carry more missiles in Pacific operations.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense has ordered three Upgraded Mogami-class (New FFM) multi-mission frigates from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, expanding missile capacity and multi-role naval power for operations in the Pacific.

The contract, covering hulls three through five, reinforces Japan’s effort to field more heavily armed, flexible surface combatants capable of enhanced air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and long-range strike. Finalized on February 16, 2026, the order forms part of a broader 10–12 ship acquisition plan under the New FFM program, supporting rapid fleet modernization and distributed lethality. By doubling vertical launch capacity and improving strike reach compared to the original Mogami-class, the program directly strengthens Japan’s maritime deterrence, operational readiness, and interoperability in high-threat regional scenarios.

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The integration of the improved Type 12 anti-ship missile into the Upgraded Mogami class extends the engagement envelope beyond that of previous Japanese escort ships, introducing a stand-off strike capability that changes how these vessels can be employed. (Picture source: AI visual by Army Recognition based on Japanese MoD rendering)

As reported by Maritime Press Online on April 15, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of Defense formalized a shipbuilding contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for three Upgraded Mogami multi-mission frigates, identified as hulls three through five of the New FFM program, with a total value of 128.6 billion yen, or roughly $850 to $900 million. The agreement was signed on February 16, 2026, and follows a prior contract awarded in fiscal year 2025 covering the first two ships of the class, establishing a sequential procurement pattern. This order is part of a defined acquisition window running from fiscal year 2024 through fiscal year 2028, during which Japan plans to procure approximately 10 to 12 ships of this type.

The New FFM program replaces the originally planned continuation of the Mogami-class beyond 12 hulls, down from an initial target of 22, indicating a structural adjustment in the Japanese Navy fleet composition. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries remains the prime contractor, with Japan Marine United acting as a principal subcontractor under an arrangement decided in August 2023. The financial structure of the February 2026 contract produces an average unit cost of 42.9 billion yen per ship, which is less than half of the 104.9 billion yen per unit estimated in the fiscal year 2025 budget request for three comparable ships totaling 314.8 billion yen.

This discrepancy indicates that the signed contract likely covers hull fabrication, propulsion systems, and basic onboard architecture, while high-cost subsystems such as the vertical launch system modules, missile inventories, radar suites, and combat management systems are procured under separate budget lines. The separation of costs allows the Japanese Ministry of Defense to distribute expenditures across multiple fiscal years and to align system integration with evolving requirements. The designation of this order as a second production batch, following hulls one and two, confirms a block procurement structure with annual or near-annual contracting cycles.

This pattern supports steady industrial output while preserving flexibility for design modifications between batches, like South Korea's KDX destroyers. For Japan, the transition from the Mogami-class to the new FFM reflects a shift in operational requirements and ship design priorities. The Mogami-class, with a standard displacement of approximately 3,900 tons and a length of about 133 meters, was optimized for anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, and low-intensity patrol missions, with a limited vertical launch system of 16 cells and restricted air defense capability. The new FFM increases this standard displacement to between 4,800 and 4,880 tons and extends the ship's overall length to approximately 142 meters, representing an increase of about 25 percent in hull volume.

This additional space is used to accommodate a larger missile battery, expanded sensor arrays, and increased onboard power generation capacity. The 2023 decision to shift procurement from the Mogami-class to the FFM was also tied to the need for ships capable of performing broader escort roles, including contributions to air defense and long-range strike missions. The propulsion configuration of the new FFM uses a combined diesel and gas turbine arrangement, with one gas turbine and two diesel engines driving twin shafts, enabling speeds exceeding 30 knots while maintaining fuel efficiency for extended deployments. Crew size is maintained at approximately 90 personnel, consistent with the Mogami-class, through extensive automation in engineering, combat, and navigation systems.

The primary weapons configuration includes a 32-cell Mark 41 vertical launch system installed forward, doubling the missile capacity of the previous class, and designed to carry Type 23 surface-to-air missiles and 07VLA anti-submarine rockets. The ship is also equipped with an improved Type 12 anti-ship missile capable of extended stand-off engagement, a 127 mm Mark 45 naval gun, a RIM-116 SeaRAM close-in defense system, and two 324mm torpedo tubes. The sensor suite is centered on a multifunction radar derived from the OPY-2, with planned upgrades, and a combined sonar system integrating anti-submarine and mine detection functions, while the flight deck supports one SH-60 helicopter or an unmanned aerial system. 

Compared to Mogami-class frigates such as the JS Yoshii, the increase from 16 to 32 vertical launch cells represents a quantifiable expansion in missile capacity, allowing the new FFM to carry a mix of surface-to-air, anti-submarine, and potentially land-attack munitions, thereby extending its operational role beyond self-defense. The integration of the upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship introduces a stand-off strike capability with ranges significantly exceeding those of earlier anti-ship systems in Japanese service. The larger hull provides additional displacement margin for future upgrades, including higher-energy sensors or directed energy weapons, without requiring structural redesign. Despite the increase in size and capability, the crew complement remains unchanged, indicating that automation offsets the added system complexity.

The retention of mine warfare capability alongside anti-submarine and surface combat functions maintains a multi-role profile that reduces the need for specialized vessels in certain mission areas. The production schedule requires construction to begin between fiscal years 2024 and 2025, with the first ships expected to enter service around 2028. The program’s objective of delivering up to 12 ships within a five-year period implies an average annual output of two to three vessels, distributed across shipyards operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Japan Marine United. The use of batch procurement, beginning with two ships and expanding to five in the second phase, allows for incremental funding approvals and phased integration of systems.

This approach also provides opportunities to incorporate lessons learned from earlier hulls into subsequent units, reducing technical risk and improving production efficiency. The compressed timeline indicates a prioritization of rapid fleet renewal in response to evolving regional security requirements. Budget allocations show that 314.8 billion yen was assigned in fiscal year 2025 for three FFM hulls under a separate funding line, reinforcing the conclusion that the 128.6 billion yen contract excludes major combat systems and other high-cost equipment. The program is intended to replace older destroyer escorts and to assume some roles currently performed by larger destroyers, particularly in routine escort, patrol, and anti-submarine missions.

This redistribution of roles reduces operational demand on high-end assets such as Aegis-equipped destroyers, allowing them to focus on ballistic missile defense and other specialized tasks. The introduction of a larger number of mid-tier ships with expanded capabilities alters the balance of the fleet, increasing flexibility in force deployment without a proportional increase in overall fleet size. The selection of the same FFM design by Australia in 2025 for its future frigate program, with a planned acquisition of up to 11 ships, introduces an export dimension for Japan that affects both production planning and system configuration.

Australian variants are expected to integrate different missile systems, including ESSM and NSM, and to adapt combat system interfaces to national requirements, while retaining the core hull and propulsion design. The requirement to support both domestic and export production may constrain Japanese shipyard capacity, and budget projections indicate that domestic procurement quantities could be reduced in later fiscal years to accommodate export commitments. This program constitutes the first large-scale export of Japanese-designed surface combatants and has also generated interest from New Zealand, indicating potential for additional foreign orders.

The introduction of 10 to 12 New FFM within a five-year period will directly affect the distribution of missions across the Japanese Navy fleet by shifting routine escort, patrol, and anti-submarine tasks away from larger destroyers. Existing destroyer escorts and older units are progressively replaced, while high-end Aegis destroyers are freed from secondary roles and can be concentrated on ballistic missile defense and integrated air defense missions. With a displacement of about 4,800 tons and a 32-cell vertical launch system, each Upgraded Mogami frigate provides a higher level of combat power than previous destroyer escorts, allowing fewer ships to cover equivalent operational requirements. This redistribution reduces wear on larger units and increases availability rates for high-intensity contingencies, while maintaining coverage across Japan’s maritime approaches and surrounding sea lanes.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.